The Shape of Things to Come
by NeuroticBanana
Summary: The fix it to ME3 and then some. Shepard destroys the Reapers and tries to pick up the pieces of her life and resume her relationship with Garrus, but what happens when there may still be some remaining threat from the Reapers? Rated M for mature content,aka FUN!
1. Chapter 1 The Alternative

**A/N: **I was so irritated with the ending of ME3 that I made my own fix it, but I didn't want to write it until I had a good idea and a story I could continue writing for some time. Now I have that, and this is the first chapter of that. Yay! Based on my Femshep Alexandria Shepard, or Alex, Vanguard class, paragon with some renegade, colonist, war hero, saved Kaiden and romanced him in ME1 and Garrus Romance ME2 and ME3. Please enjoy and I hope things aren't too confusing as I'm still getting out of the habit of being a boring technical writer, but a BSN degree does that to you! Enjoy, rate and comment please!

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The Shape of Things to Come

Neurotic Banana

One: The Alternative

She had worked so hard to get to the Citadel only to find mutilated piles of bodies, hardly any resemblance to what she had always known as the Citadel. What she saw was the stuff of nightmares, and many times as she had dragged her bruised, broken body up the ramp in Anderson's direction, she had felt sure she was dreaming or that she was dead and this was Hell. However, her thoughts of dreams had been washed away when she'd come face to face with Anderson and a corrupted, indoctrinated Illusive Man.

That had ended unpleasantly, with the Illusive Man barely admitting to indoctrination and then taking his own life, but before that happened he' d shot Anderson. Shepard knew it was a fatal shot and that what time she had left with Anderson was limited. They'd shared a few moments together before he fell silent. It was around this time that Hackett had started communicating with her, telling her to do something because he arms of the Citadel weren't opening up…but she could do nothing! There was nothing for her to do, but lay there and accept her own fate, of inevitable death and to live her last moments knowing she had failed the galaxy.

As she laid there, she thought of all the people who had rooted for her, stood by her…loved her. Tears had threatened her vision as an image of Garrus Vakarian came to her mind's eye; his goodbye to her as she had parted from him, her promise to return. She wanted all of that to be true, to happen, but now as pain coursed through her body she felt as if it was a far off dream of hope that now faced imminent death.

While she had been having these thoughts she hadn't realized she was being lifted to another room, with some sort of sentient being in it. This was when everything changed; it was the moment Shepard's fire for success returned to her; the turning point in a game played by the Reapers for thousands of years.

It came to her as the child she had been dreaming about and for all intents and purposes it looked completely inorganic, more like a hologram really. As it had been explaining things to her she felt certain that it couldn't be destroyed, that it was some kind of god child, other worldly and indestructible. The god child offered her three choices, illuminated by three colored lights; red, for destruction of the Reapers and all synthetics and not completely solving the problem of organics and synthetics; green, for synthesis, joining synthetic and organic life into one, solving the Reaper problem, but requiring her life as sacrifice; blue, for control of the Reapers, no longer a threat for they would be under her control, but also requiring her life as a sacrifice. Three choices and she must only pick one of the choices provided.

Shepard looked at the lights ahead of her, her striking blue eyes taking in the glowing colors. Three choices to choose from, all of them not exactly a win situation. Why couldn't there be a fourth option? If this being, truly was other worldly then certainly there should be other options. If she was facing her own creator, if that was what this god child was, then shouldn't there be other options?

The god child waited patiently for her to make her choice, but inside of Shepard she felt her heart harden and her mind set. There were _always _other options, that was exactly what she had done in life; when there were no other alternatives, she _made _new ones. Slowly Shepard turned from the glowing lights and faced the god child a look of fierce determination etched into her face.

"There are always other options…I refuse these choices," she stated and waited for the god child's response.

At first the god child just stared at her, and since it appeared to have no real structure she couldn't really tell what emotions its face was trying to project. Finally it did speak.

"Commander Alexandria Shepard, why do you oppose me?" It asked calmly.

Shepard snorted and replied, "Because there are _always _other choices. That's what it means to be human, to be _organic_. You say that you created the Reapers to control the wars that wage between synthetics and organics? How does destroying billions of species, forcing them to merge into some Reaper creation solve that problem? It _doesn't_! I helped fix the war between the Geth and the Quarians. Organics and synthetics can get along. So these choices," Shepard gestured toward the three lights, "are lies."

"You surprise me, Shepard. For millennia after millennia I have watched your predecessors reach this point and take one of the options I have given them…but you, you stand against me and insist on another option," the god child responded calmly. Shepard stared at the transparent child in shock. Her predecessors? What did that mean?

"My predecessors? _What do you mean_?" She demanded.

"I created the Reapers long ago to control the wars that would wage between synthetic and organic life. It was my means of controlling the domination of weaker species that synthetic life can exert; however, my plan backfired and the Reapers became too powerful, so that I did not have complete control over them. They acted on their own, destroying organic life every 50,000 years for the greater good. My creation, the Reapers, the original Reapers, needed to have an equal, so I took steps to ensure the balance of power. I created a being of equal strength to the Reapers, capable of destroying them. Every cycle the Reapers have risen for the Harvest, I have aided in the creation of a being of similar power, resistant to indoctrination, brimming with power, capable of the annihilation of the Reapers. In this cycle of Harvest, you are that individual, Shepard. You possess the power to destroy the Reapers," the god child was silent after this, simply looking on at Shepard.

Shepard just stared at the strange being in front of her. She didn't know what to say, and felt very confused and little inside. Had her life as a human all been a lie? Was every experience she encountered some programmed, pre-determined situation? What was she? And if she was truly capable of destroying the Reapers, why must she choose from three options that didn't seem like the right path? Shepard suddenly remembered one of the first things the god child had said in response to Shepard's refusal to choose.

_For millennia after millennia I have watched your predecessors reach this point and take one of the options I have given them. _That meant that the others like her had reached this point and had made a choice, the wrong choice apparently since the Reapers still existed. However, it also meant that there was another choice, another option. Shepard paused briefly, considering acquiring more information about her _predecessors _and what exactly she was, or demanding to know what the fourth option could be. She decided to dig for more information.

"You aided in _my creation? _So what does that make me? Am I a Reaper?" Shepard asked with arched eyebrows.

"No. You are organic. The being of equal strength to the Reapers has always been, and always will be organic. It was the only way to restore balance," the god child paused as if considering what to say next. "I did not create you; I am _not _your creator, I am not capable of creating organic life forms, only the destruction of them. I am, however, capable of modifying them into a being of equal strength to the Reapers. Before you ever took your first breath of air as an infant, I had changed you; I did this to you and the others that came before you. Never have I met one so tenacious and head strong as you, though."

Shepard felt a small weight lifted when the god child told her she was not in fact a Reaper. Despite and relief she was feeling she knew she needed to press on; she needed to get answers quickly and then find a way to destroy the Reapers.

"The others, before me, they chose…they chose one of the choices you'd given them?" Shepard looked toward the lights and then back to the transparent child before her. "If they chose one of the options you'd given them then obviously it was the wrong one since the Reapers are still here. Why don't you just give a fourth option?" Shepard demanded anger tickling its way into her voice.

"Your predecessors chose. Some chose control, others destruction….none have chosen synthesis," the god child motioned to the green light. Shepard got the distinct feeling that it wanted her to choose that route.

"I don't believe you," Shepard sneered with narrowed eyes. She was convinced this horrible little monster of a creature was lying to her. It created the Reapers, and while it might've modified her and others before her for the good, the Reapers were _it's _creation, and she felt it unlikely that it truly wanted to see its creation destroyed.

The glow of white light that was the god child faltered, fading to a darker shade briefly before responding. "Synthesis is the only answer. Destruction and control will not solve the problem of synthetics and organics. Synthesis. You must choose Synthesis."

Shepard felt adrenaline surge in her body. The dynamic was changing, the god child wanted her to choose synthesis, but she was free willed and could say no. _There are always other options, _Shepard thought with determination.

"There doesn't have to be a problem between synthetics and organics! Look at the Geth and the Quarians! They are no longer fighting. This can end. The Reapers can end. You created them, you can destroy them."

"No! Synthesis must be chosen! _You must choose synthesis!_" The god child roared at Shepard.

Shepard felt the ground beneath her shake; whatever she was going to do she was going to have to do it fast. She remembered her gun at that point, hanging limply in her hand. While she was unsure if it would have any effect on the god child it wouldn't hurt to try. It was her only other option. While she was beginning to feel renewed, she wasn't sure she had enough energy to actually use any of her biotic talents, so that for the moment was out of the question.

Quickly before the god child could stop her, Shepard raised her gun and fired two shots point blank into the strange beings semi-transparent head. The squeeze of the trigger felt good as she pinched off the two shots. The god child did not immediately react, but instead seemed to have absorbed the rounds.

Shepard watched as the glow of the child in front of her darkened to gray, to brown, and finally to black. She was startled as she saw a spurt of a pale black, oozing, viscous fluid flow down the god child's face. She watched as the glowing of the child faded into what appeared to be solid substance, like skin. The pale black fluid slowly trickled to a stop and Shepard took a few slow steps away from what once was the god child. It grew in front of her from the form of a child to that of a large, towering creature, standing at least six feet taller than her. The once childlike arms extended into thick, beefy appendages with a bone thin hands that had long, black talons stretching out from them. The glow was completely gone and what stood before her now was a monster, something out of a horror novel that her wildest dreams wouldn't have been able to create.

It stood over eleven feet tall, with long, thick arms. The body was thick like a tree trunk but vaguely human and covered with what appeared to be oily, black skin. Shepard felt certain that if she touched it, it would burn her. The face, which had once been like the boy she had often dreamt about, was now similar to a human skull. The eyes were hollow, burning with a dark blue fire that made Shepard's skin crawl. The mouth which had barely been there before now seemed to stretch from ear to ear as if it had been carved into flesh by some sick and demented clown. She couldn't see teeth, and was glad she couldn't. The head appeared completely bare, except for what she thought might be the same cord like veins she often saw on Husks and all Reaper perverted creatures.

"You will die here Shepard! Your species will suffer; the galaxy will burn because of _you!"_ It screamed in a shrill voice that had a slight mechanical sound to it. Shepard backpedaled rapidly from the creature before her feeling her heart rate pick up. Her fatigue and injuries suddenly seemed very far in the past. Adrenaline shot through her veins and Shepard suddenly felt the thrill of battle take hold of her. She was fighting alone, but she was fighting a solid form that she was certain could be destroyed.

With renewed energy, Shepard felt her biotic abilities spring to life with frightful energy, more than she knew she possessed. Her heart did double time as Shepard locked the horrid former god child in her sights and felt pure biotic power rip through her. With frightening speed Shepard closed the distance between her and the creature in a forceful Biotic Charge. Her impact with it sent the creature stumbling backwards a few paces and Shepard wasted no time crashing her fist into the ground letting loose with a powerful Nova blast. This seemed to do minor damage to the creature so Shepard decided to Charge it again to get her Barrier back up.

As Shepard Charged however, the creature seemed to anticipate this and used one of its massive arms to knock Shepard away from it. Shepard felt the impact blow into her right shoulder and was certain that it had just dislocated. She was thrown away from the creature and completely out of the Charge. Shepard landed with a loud thud a few feet away from the former god child. Her head was swimming with pain and when she tried to move her right arm she couldn't. Pain shot through her shoulder socket in ripping waves. Her eyes blurred with tears as she glanced up toward the creature; it was heading her way letting out some sort of demented mechanical laugh as it went.

Struggling, and panting heavily, Shepard sat up and gripped her right arm with her left hand; she had to get it back into the socket. Gritting her teeth, Shepard took a forceful hold and snapped it back into place. The loud pop of the humerus head meeting with the socket made Shepard want to vomit. She returned her gaze back to the creature that was closing the gap between the two at an alarming rate. With a whimper Shepard rose to a standing position and stared ahead. Her gun was gone, dropped from her hand when she had Charged the first time and she felt completely drained of energy since she'd been violently knocked out of her Charge.

"How do I defeat it?" She whispered to herself helplessly. Then the sight of the glowing lights caught her attention. Her 'choices' were still waiting for her and while she could stupidly walk up to one and make a choice, she had a better idea. Perhaps she could knock this abomination of a creature into the red light, the one that destroyed the Reapers. It might not kill the Reapers, but it would probably kill or heavily damage the creature before her.

Thinking quickly, Shepard deduced that if she was able to dredge up one powerful Biotic Charge she could knock the former god child back quite a ways, putting them both much closer to the lights, specifically the red light. Once it was closer she would try to throw a Shockwave or Pull at it. If those efforts failed she would desperately try to get to her gun and fire at it, hopefully enough to push it into the light. If she wasn't able to get it into the red light with her biotic capabilities or her gun then she would use what little physical strength she had left on it. She would engage in up close combat until it was knocked into the light and if she needed to, she'd go with it. It didn't matter if she died, the creature had to die. Destroying the creator of the Reapers had to be some kind of significant blow to the Reapers as a whole.

"All plans are in vain, Shepard," it cackled at her.

Closing her eyes and wondering if she could really do it, she remembered all those she was fighting for. Liara, Wrex, Kaiden, Tali, Joker, EDI, Hackett…Garrus. Their faces swirled through her mind giving her the strength she so desperately needed.

"For the galaxy," she whispered, and as if she felt it would be the last words she ever spoke she whispered even quieter, "For you, Garrus." She locked her eyes ahead.

Her already tired and overworked heart skipped a beat as she set her eyes on the creature before her and once again felt her biotic abilities bloom into life. She felt her body begin to Charge, felt the strength behind it, knew that this time the Charge would not be stopped.

Her body collided with the creature and she was pleased to see it stumble back several feet. She spied the glow the red light not far from them and used the last bit of biotic energy she had to throw a Shockwave out in front of her, knocking the former god child back, bringing it closer to the red glow. Her body seemed to sage with fatigue as she watched the creator of the reapers stumble; it was barely a foot away from the red light…she was so close.

Shepard closed the gap between them quickly getting close to her goal, and snatching up her gun as she closed the distance. She fired three shots that made the creature stumble even closer to the red light, before she realized the gun was out of thermal clips. With her last bit of energy Shepard frantically rushed forward and thrust her fist forward, glowing and sparking a heavenly blue, finally making impact with the former god child's body. Her fists' impact with once god child's skin burned and scorched her hand, but she was hardly aware of it as she watched the being before her stumble the final distance, colliding with the glass structure around the red light.

The red light, which had been dull before suddenly brightened upon contact with the god child. A crackling sound filled the air and sparks sprang up around the red light and the creature. It howled angrily and tried to pry itself away from the red light, but the light seemed to consume it. It cut through the black, oily skin like a laser. The once flame blue eyes turned black, the mouth gaped open, the skin started to dry, flaking away from the body leaving empty black, charred holes.

The glow from the light grew brighter, lighting the whole room, nearly blinding Shepard. She could no longer hear anything but the crackling of the light and the howls of the former god child. The howls however, were becoming less and less and the sound of the crackles, like fire burning, was growing with intensity. Shepard couldn't see anything through the brightness of the room. She vaguely became aware of the ground moving beneath her and her body cascading down. One of her legs filled with pain when she stopped sliding downwards, but she was only distantly aware of it, for she was too focused on protecting her eyes from the brightness that seemed to have swallowed her whole. She heard other cracks, like concrete cracking in half, she heard thuds, but through all of it she was primarily aware of the crackling fire sound. She felt certain that the red light had turned to fire that was burning through the former god child and was shortly going to be consuming the Citadel.

Distantly Shepard heard a voice, a human, familiar voice speak to her from somewhere. Perhaps through her communications piece, but she was fairly certain that had been destroyed.

"The arms…they're opening!" the voice, which she now identified as Admiral Hackett, shouted.

The light only seemed to grow and Shepard once again felt the ground beneath her moving, shifting. A great cracking sound erupted from above her and she felt debris scatter over her body. Something heavy landed on her back, forcing her into a prone position. With the heavy debris on her back she found it difficult to breath, and her mind slowly started to slip away from her.

There was noise everywhere, and light everywhere and the world itself seemed to be shifting in an entirely different direction. Although it was likely she was about to die, some part of Shepard felt satisfied, as if she had just personally witnessed the destruction of the Reapers. As the world started to slip away from her things around her finally quieted down and the light faded to shadows. It grew quiet around her and things seemed for once, at peace. It was at this moment that blackness swept over Shepard and her mind travelled to unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2 When All is Dark

**A/N**: So chapter two. I enjoyed writing it, I hope you enjoy reading it. I wanted to get it up quickly after Ch. 1 so whoever chooses to read won't just get stuck on number 1. I've currently written six chapters, so there is more ready, but that will come later. Enjoy, read, rate and comment please!

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Two: When All is Dark

Her mind swam in and out of consciousness for some time; how much time, she never knew. Sometimes she would hear an occasional crack or thud, as if something broke or fell over, and other times she heard absolutely nothing. Her vision remained weak, mostly coming in blurs of black and gray. She couldn't make out much of anything, except the darkness around her. The primary thing she was aware of when she would briefly become conscious was the pain she was in. Everything hurt; her head felt like someone had hit her with a jack hammer, her leg felt as if a Krogan had taken a bite out of shin, her previously dislocated shoulder felt achy and sore, and her hand felt like it was on fire. Not to mention it had become increasingly difficult to breath due to heavy debris that covered her. Because of her pain and lack of oxygen she would frequently slip right back into unconsciousness.

During one of these moments when alertness returned to her she heard something knew. Distantly, as if she was hearing through cotton shoved in her ears, she heard voices. At first she thought it was just another crack or thud, but when she kept hearing it she realized that what she heard was indeed voices.

"I don't see how anyone could have survived this…I mean look at this place, it's awful…like a bomb went off. Wow," exclaimed a male voice. It was a voice that was familiar to Shepard, but in her current state she couldn't identify who the voice belonged to.

"She's strong, and we've detected life signs all this time," replied a soft, female voice. This voice was also familiar to Shepard, and provoked a stronger reaction from her. Her mind tried to form an image of the owner of the voice, but couldn't. She felt her body struggle against the debris that covered her. She _wanted _to be found.

"They might be false readings…" the same male voice trailed off. There was silence.

"Quiet, Kaiden," shot back another male voice, this one with a different, non-human tone.

Like the other voices this voice Shepard recognized, but this voice she felt a strong connection to. When she tried to visualize the owner of the voice this time she succeeded. In her mind she saw a tall figure, a turian, blue tattoos across his face, one side scarred, his characteristic blue visor glowing over his left eye, heavy armor, his voice always hiding a laugh…

Memories washed over Shepard as full alertness returned to her. She remembered their last moments, his goodbye, her promise to return, their last night together, her confession of love, everything came back to her. She took a sharp intake of breath and opened her eyes. While all she saw was darkness she could make out shapes and an occasional blast of light as if from a flashlight.

"We need to keep looking. I know she's here; I can smell her," Garrus stated quietly.

"We'll find her Garrus," Liara—Shepard was certain that was who the female voice belonged to—replied.

"But the life signs…they're so weak. Even if we do find her, who's to say we can bring her back? What if we can't…?"This was Kaiden's voice, she was sure of it.

"We'll find her. We will," Liara added with a hopeful tone.

There were other voices that Shepard could hear from where she lay. She heard unfamiliar voices discussing things that made her mind swim with confusion.

"Surprised the Citadel didn't crash—"

"Yeah, you and me both…this place is trashed. Fucking nightmare—"

"No one could live through this. We already found Anderson. Only a matter of time—"

"…Reapers destroyed. How'd she do it?"

"What was with the weird—"

"…strange things I've seen. The Mass Relay's getting all freaky like that. Who knew."

"…dead. Totally dead. Shame, really. Saved the galaxy afterall."

"…Hackett, yeah, he was talking about making a memorial. I think even he thinks she's dead."

Shepard didn't know what to think of what the voices were saying. She was confused and hurting and wasn't even sure if this was all just some strange dream she was having. Voices suddenly near her made her attention snap back to the present.

"…doing? What is it? Garrus?" Liara's voice whispered from nearby.

There was quiet and then Shepard heard Garrus's voice very near her. "I can smell her. Smell blood that is, I know it's hers."

Light erupted in Shepard's eyes then and the heavy weight that had been resting on her back for what seemed like forever was removed. The light blinded Shepard and her already blurry vision, blurred further. Her mind threatened unconsciousness at the sudden activity, but Shepard struggled to stay awake and present. She felt something touching her face, stroking her hair. Slowly her vision returned as hands cautiously turned her from her stomach onto her back. She was able to make out three figures hovering over her and more people behind them. Beyond them she could see debris and rubble scattered about.

"Shepard…you're alive!" Kaiden called in alarm at seeing Shepard's blinking eyes and tear, dirt stained face.

"Thank the Goddess," Liara whispered while kneeling over Shepard, she was touching Shepard's shoulder.

While these were comments Shepard took in, her attention was mainly focused on the man hovering closest to her, watching her carefully, taking in every breath she took…

"Shepard," Garrus simply whispered. He watched her breathe slowly, took in the bloody slice across her temple, the blood shot eyes, bloodied, burned remnants of her N7 armor, the odd angle one of her legs was at, scorched and bloodied left fist, and the obviously swollen right shoulder. She looked like she been to Hell and back.

With great effort, Shepard raised her left arm, her good arm, and brought her burned hand up to her beloved turians scarred cheek. She gently placed her shaking hand on his cheek and held it there. The gesture was not lost to either Liara or Kaiden who stood very close nearby. The moment of intimacy seemed to make Kaiden uncomfortable and surprisingly Liara too. However, Shepard was oblivious to their reactions or to anything else, she was simply focused on Garrus, someone she never thought she'd see again.

"You found me," Shepard whispered hoarsely. It was the last thing her body managed before it demanded unconsciousness. Before she could fight against it, blackness tugged at the edge of her vision. The people before her started to blur, her hand fell away from Garrus's cheek. As the threat of unconsciousness loomed, Shepard felt strong arms—Garrus's arms-pull her into them and suddenly felt like a child being cradled in the arms of a parent. A smile found her lips as darkness nearly claimed her.

"Is she gonna make it?" Kaiden whispered quickly.

"We need to get her to a medical facility," Liara added urgently.

Garrus's voice was the last thing Shepard heard before unconsciousness took her. "Stay with me Shepard. Stay with me."

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Time lapsed for Shepard; her mind was full of darkness for an unknown amount of time before the first quickening's of consciousness returned to her. In these brief periods of alertness Shepard became aware of being on her back on some sort of soft surface. Vision was difficult to decipher, making her rely mostly on her limited hearing and sense of touch. Sometimes she felt a hand brush across her arm, which she had realized was bare. Other times she heard voices, mostly whispers and medical jargon that she was unfamiliar with.

During her brief periods of consciousness, Shepard's mind frequently wandered into a state of delirium. While her eyes were too weak to properly translate what it was seeing to the brain, she was capable of seeing in extremely fuzzy shades of gray, but mostly saw blurred shapes with no distinguishable features. When there was bright light it made her vision black out completely, which typically furthered Shepard's delirium and fear associated with being unable to see. It was in these states of delirium that Shepard would remember fighting the god child and she would imagine the obscured shapes coming toward her as hideous Reaper creations and would fight against them. These periods didn't last long as whomever she was struggling against would hold her down and she'd feel a pin prick in one of her shoulders and would shortly fall into darkness again.

It was during one of her deeper states of sedation that Shepard started to dream. At first the dreams were random snippets; the wind on her face, birds chirping, a dog barking. Eventually the snippets turned into complete dreams.

The first dream was a nightmare; the Reapers had won and she watched as millions died before her, blood running across the scorched Earth like deep flowing rivers. Something was touching her wrist, pinning it in place and burning her. When she looked to her wrist she saw a fiery, skeletal hand gripping her. She followed the frightening hand up and met the face of the Illusive Man, although he was no longer the Illusive Man, but the blood ridden, burning corpse of him. He smiled at her, his teeth sharp like daggers and dripping a black, tarry substance while his tongue wriggled about like a bloated tape worm. Shepard tried to pull away her wrist but couldn't, his grip was too tight. She could feel her skin tearing off in chunks; felt hot moisture drip down her hand that she was certain was her own blood. She looked back to the Illusive Man only to see him laughing at her; cackling that was like a banshee wailing. Shepard screamed.

All at once she felt the pressure removed from her wrist and the frightening, blood soaked world around her faded into a soft gray and she felt her body relax. The world changed then to a beach with waves rolling in not far from where she was. Bright sunshine was hitting her face, filling her with warmth. The sky was blue and she could clearly see white fluffy clouds above her. She suddenly became aware of the sensation of sand beneath her feet. A smile came across her face as she smelled the breeze off the ocean.

To her surprise, a warm hand gripped her own. Shepard looked down at her hand and saw a leathery, three fingered hand holding hers. With a feeling of nervous joy budding in her heart, Shepard looked up at the owner of the hand. Garrus Vakarian met her nervous glance, and at that moment she felt as if her heart would explode. He was just as he'd been when she said goodbye to him on Earth. When he'd found her in the ruined Citadel, it was dark and a crisp image of him had been obscured. But now, she could see him in perfect detail. The scarred cheek was marred as ever, but she loved it; his glowing blue visor looked clear and sharp; the striking blue of his facial tattoo looked like the most beautiful turian tattoo she'd ever seen before; that mischievous twinkle in his gray-blue eyes made her heart skip a beat. He was lovely as ever.

She smiled at him and was pleased when he turned into her and caressed her cheek with his other hand. The brush of his sharp talons across her jawline did not frighten her; they never would. She slowly raised her own hand to his cheek, as she had when he found her on the Citadel.

"Garrus," she whispered quietly.

At first he said nothing, but simply gazed at her as if gauging her words carefully. Then he finally spoke. "I always knew you'd kick the Reapers asses. I never lost faith in that, but Shepard you need to come back to us…come back to me." The last bit confused Shepard and she raised a dark eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you—"

"We can find that beach we talked about, live off the vids, enjoy life, enjoy each other…" the words grew quiet and Shepard felt the world start to fade again.

Garrus faded away from her; she no longer felt his hand in her own. In a panic, she began searching the gray world that surrounded her, stumbling and falling along the way. She found it incredibly difficult to run or move, as if she was trying to run through quick sand. Her feet refused to obey her and when she went to move her arms she found them paralyzed. Why was it so hard to move? Why did she feel paralyzed?

Shepard decided to concentrate her efforts on one body part. In this gray foggy world she was confused but could clearly see her hand in front of her. She focused on her index finger, willing it to move. At first nothing happened, but then she saw just a twitch of the finger, and then it moved completely. Suddenly the gray world that surrounded her faded into darkness, and Shepard's eyes snapped open. She took a breath and blinked a few times trying to adjust to the well-lit world around her.

During previous periods of lucidity, Shepard's vision blurred into gray shapes when she opened her eyes, plagued with delirium. Now, however, Shepard could see, and although there was the occasional blurriness, she could see clearly; her mind felt free of her previous delirious state.

Slowly, Shepard took in her surroundings. She could see she was in some sort of room that had seen better days. The walls were an off white, but in certain spots were marred by black scorch marks. There was a light that hung above her that was dimmed and dirty looking, as if it had been dug through the dirt recently. There was a blackened and dented door to the side of the little room that read 115 on it. There were no windows but around the room were various light fixtures that kept it fairly well lit. Due to the lack of windows Shepard was unsure if she was on a planet or on a space ship. She could hear machines running near her and when she looked in that general direction she saw what she was certain was medical equipment. There were various tubes running from the machines and onto her, she realized. She looked down at her arm to where one of the tubes ended; realizing that one of the machines was running an IV drip. While gazing at her arm she noticed the dingy white blanket that covered her and the off white baggy tunic she was wearing, certainly not the last thing she remembered seeing herself in.

Shepard cautiously raised one of her hands up to see if it would move; it responded and when she looked at it she discovered it was wrapped in a heavy gauze dressing. She didn't remember when she acquired the injury the gauze covered. Little bruises covered the length of her arm and she blinked in surprise at how purple it looked. Her other arm, the right one, was secured in a small sling, and Shepard vaguely remembered dislocating it and relocating it at some point.

As Shepard continued to examine her surroundings and injuries she heard something move nearby her. She directed her gaze in that direction and was surprised to see in the corner of her little room was a chair with a slumbering turian curled up in it. She squinted her eyes to confirm her hopes that it was actually Garrus in her room and not another turian; it wouldn't really make sense for any other turian to be in her room.

With a slowness only known to those who have been severely injured, Shepard scooted up in her bed and sat up gazing in the turian's direction. She took in the unmarred fringe, the heavy pale blue armor, the faint glow of a visor on the left side of his face, and the scarred cheek on his right. A timid little smile crept onto Shepard's face. It was indeed Garrus. As she tried to move to get out of the bed she became aware of a paper thin cast on her calf. While it wasn't very cumbersome it was still very immobilizing and foreign to Shepard as she'd never had a cast in her life before. Her struggles in the bed happened to rouse Garrus who was just a short distance away from her.

Garrus opened his eyes and glanced in Shepard's direction. At first he was alarmed to see her not in the spot he'd left her, but then he relaxed as he saw that she was _awake _and apparently trying to escape the bed. He watched quietly as Shepard struggled with the blankets, her cast, and the small sling her right arm was held in, and her wrapped up left hand. He wanted to laugh at the sight, but to see her moving and actually responsive made him stay where he was and quietly watch her.

"Having a bit of trouble, are we?" Garrus mocked playfully.

Shepard stopped fooling around with her blanket and looked up at Garrus. She couldn't help but smile at him, only adding to her desire to leap out of bed and into his waiting arms.

"Laugh it up Garrus," she responded with a smile.

Garrus rose from his chair and slowly approached her. When he was mere inches from her he simply stood, taking her living, breathing self in. She did the same in turn; recommitting to memory every feature. Finally he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her battered, but healing body. Shepard wrapped her good arm in return around Garrus.

"I'm glad you're safe. I'm glad you're here," Shepard whispered feeling a lump form in her throat.

"I'm glad you're alive," Garrus whispered back.


	3. Chapter 3 Time We Lost

**A/N: **So here's chapter three. I enjoyed putting it together, especially my interactions with the Normandy crew...but anyway, oh wanted to say if I haven't made it clear or if I fail to later, MY mass relays are intact. I mean really...what genius thought up the idea of destroying them? How stupid was that! Like half of the galaxy is on or around Earth and boom, no mass relays, hello starvation! Basically the krogan are going to eat everyone and the vorcha will live forever! What a wonderful ending...but I digress...back to the point, enjoy and as always please read and review! Happy reading!

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Three: Time We Lost

The embrace between Garrus and Shepard was short lived for just a few moments later Shepard heard a sharp intake of breath that made her peek over Garrus's large shoulder toward the doorway at the side of her bed. There standing in the doorway stood Liara T'Soni with a mixture of shock and amazement on her face. Shepard thought she saw the budding of tears in Liara's eyes. Garrus broke away from Shepard to see who was intruding on their reunion.

"By the Goddess Shepard…I, I…" her voice trailed off and she suddenly raced toward Shepard, almost shoving Garrus entirely out of the way. She wrapped her arms around Shepard and sobbed into her shoulder. "I was so terribly frightened that you wouldn't ever come back to us! Shepard, I, I am _so happy _you are alright!"

Shepard couldn't help but smile and tried to pull away from the eager asari, but found it difficult to break from Liara's embrace. She looked toward Garrus with a pleading look on her face. Garrus flared his mandibles, the turian equivalent of snorting or smiling.

"Liara lets give Shepard a rest," Garrus coaxed and placed a hand on Liara's shoulder.

Slowly Liara withdrew from Shepard and Shepard relaxed back into her bed. She didn't feel hugely fatigued, but the sudden intense embrace from both Garrus and Liara had tired her to some degree. She looked at her asari friend and smiled; she'd missed her friend's pretty blue skin and eyes and her always sweet disposition.

"I'm sorry Shepard, I just, I was overwhelmed at seeing you conscious and moving," Liara said shyly. She hesitantly looked down at her feet.

"It's okay Liara. Now, can anyone tell me what's going on? Are the Reapers destroyed? How long have I been here? What's the state of things?" Shepard asked in a hurry. She was fairly certain that some amount of time had passed since she'd been on the Citadel and she desperately wanted to know the condition that Earth and the galaxy were in.

Both Garrus and Liara shared a look before they returned Shepard's anxious stare. She wasn't sure what that look meant; she certainly hoped it meant good things instead of bad things. Why couldn't things just be easy!

"Actually, we were hoping that once you were, er, awake, you could tell us what _exactly _happened on the Citadel," Garrus stated in a very innocent way.

Liara chimed in with, "The Reapers have been destroyed Shepard but no one is really sure how it happened." Liara paused and seemed to think about what to say next. "You see after you made it up onto the Citadel we lost contact with you for quite a while. I guess Admiral Hackett managed contact at some point, telling you to open the arms of the Citadel, but then everything went blank. Everything _here _went blank too. The Reapers on Earth and surrounding Earth seemed to become sluggish…it made it easier to damage them, but it certainly confused everyone here since the Crucible for all intents and purposes appeared to be nonfunctional."

Garrus nodded in agreement. "Liara's right. We all got a little twisted when the Reapers started acting strange…it was like they were distracted, or waiting for orders….but anyway, we were in the dark as to what was going on upstairs with you and the Citadel, that went on for a while actually, but then there was this bright light, blinding light…" Garrus trailed off as if lost in the memory of the incident. Liara continued for him.

"The light at first appeared from the beam being emitted from the Citadel, but then it extended out over everything, everyone. It started to shine out of the Reapers on and around Earth…everywhere…then we heard from the Normandy back up in orbit that the Mass Relay emitted the same white light and that the arms of the Citadel were indeed opening up. I'm not sure what exactly happened since I wasn't there to see it, but I have been told the Citadel shot out the same light and into the Relay, similar to that of a laser I suppose. That was when the Reapers began to fall," Liara finished looking somewhat puzzled.

"We don't know what went down, Shepard. All that we can surmise is that you _did something _up there that made the light and that destroyed the Reapers," Garrus said quietly and gently placed his hand atop Shepard's bandaged hand.

Slowly, she closed her eyes and tried to recall the events that had occurred on the Citadel. Memories flashed through her mind of an indoctrinated Illusive Man, the glowing god child, the god child turning into a hideous monster, bright light, things hitting her body, and Anderson. She suddenly stopped and tried to remember what had happened with Anderson. He had been there with her, what had happened? Then she remembered, the Illusive Man…he'd made her shoot Anderson, he hadn't died then but with a sickening feeling rising in her stomach the memory of him dying beside her flashed before her eyes. Anderson was dead…she wasn't sure if she could wrap her mind around that concept.

With a shaky voice Shepard whispered, "Anderson…Anderson was with me, he—we, there, the Illusive Man was there, but he wasn't, he was indoctrinated…and he," she stopped and felt a lump rise in her throat. Shepard wasn't one to shed tears, but the thought of losing a man who in many ways was a father to her made her want to sob.

Garrus took hold of Shepard's forearm with one hand and with the other turned her face toward him. "Whatever happened up there Shepard wasn't your fault. Anderson died, but he didn't die in vain. You destroyed the Reapers. That's all he would've wanted."

Shepard felt her stomach churn and for a moment thought she might throw up. After a moment she said quietly, "But _I_ shot him. It was with the Illusive Man's influence, but _I shot him_. He died because of me."

"And he wouldn't want you to hold onto that. He'd want you to let go of that. He would want you to finish the mission, but most importantly he would want you to _live_," Liara said quietly while gently placing her hand on Shepard's shoulder.

A few tears slipped out of Shepard's eyes and she nodded. In her soul she knew that they were right. She would never have intentionally harmed Anderson, and had done so under the insane, indoctrinated influence of the Illusive Man. Despite the fact that Anderson was dead he would want Shepard to live on and since the Reapers were apparently destroyed he would be able to rest easy knowing that the work he did had not been done in vain.

"I guess I should explain what happened up there," Shepard whispered. Both Liara and Garrus nodded.

Slowly Shepard began explaining the events on the Citadel, from the ruined piled up bodies to the god child and the three strange choices it had offered her. When she got to the part about her being of equal strength to the Reapers due to the god child's possible genetic tampering, both Garrus and Liara looked confused and concerned, but Shepard ignored this and continued on. She explained about how she had refused the options and had resorted to shooting the god child only to have it transform into some hideous Reaper monster, and finally described her method of pushing the monster into the red light which triggered the explosion of white light. When she'd finished she waited quietly for one or both to respond. Liara was first.

"So this creature was the Reapers creator?" She asked.

"That is what it told me. And since the Reapers all seemed to die when it died I'm guessing that it was telling the truth," Shepard replied.

"But the part about you being of equal strength…and that _it _was responsible for that, doesn't that just sound a little out there to you?" Garrus asked tossing his arms out to demonstrate his disbelief. "I mean, you had predecessors that this thing assumedly _altered _as well? And yet all of those that are _supposed_ to have come before you never thought the same thing you thought about the choices that that thing offered you?" He gave her a look of pure incredulity.

Shepard hesitated and thought back to that conversation. She still had reservations about believing what it had said about her. She was simply human and wasn't any more powerful than anyone or anything else. Believing what the god child had said, about altering her so that she was of equal strength, seemed unlikely.

"I don't know Garrus. That is what it said. Do I believe it? Not really, it lied to me about the choices so who's to say it wouldn't lie about that? I don't know," Shepard finally replied. Garrus and Liara simply remained silent, making Shepard feel uncomfortable. Secretly she worried they would be less trusting of her if they chose to believe that she was of equal strength to the Reapers and that some part of her had been tampered with by not only something involved with the Reapers, but the creator of the Reapers themselves.

"So…where am I? How long was I out? And how exactly did you find me?" Shepard asked, eagerly wanting to change the subject.

Garrus was about to respond when Liara suddenly interrupted him. "I'll let Garrus fill you in on those details, I'm sure the doctor will want to know that you are awake now…so that they can examine you." With that she turned on her heel and exited quickly. Shepard thought the sudden exit was odd. It was out of character for Liara.

"That was…different," Garrus said looking in Liara's direction, however he quickly turned his attention back to Shepard. "You are on Earth, in London again You were MIA for one day and you've been unconscious for eight days. The Citadel was intact in orbit around Earth, so as soon as we could gather the numbers we took the Normandy up to orbit and boarded. After we got you out of the Citadel you were initially in the Normandy's medbay, but you needed more advanced treatment and there was a doctor who had been working in this…errr, fallout shelter? I think that's the word humans use…anyway, this doctor was working here on Earth, and this particular facility had only received moderate damage and the doctor thought he could help bring you back." Garrus finished quickly and gave a nervous cough, flaring his mandibles in response.

"Bring me back? Was I dead again!" Shepard asked in shock, desperately hoping the answer was no.

"What? No! You were just on the edge and he had the most expertise…reminds me of Mordin actually," Garrus said reassuringly. Shepard sighed in relief.

"That's a relief. I don't think I could handle rising from the dead twice," she said quietly and pressed her bandaged hand onto Garrus's hand. He responded by taking her hand in his.

"You don't know how good it is to see you again, Alexandria," Garrus whispered as he leaned in close to Shepard's face. She felt her heart quicken at his closeness and the use of her first name. He continued, "I have never been more afraid in my life than when I saw you at the Citadel bleeding, broken, barely breathing…" his voice trailed off into a whisper.

Shepard took a gulp and met his intense gaze, a gaze she had rarely seen on her beloved turians face. It was the same look he had given her when they had said goodbye before the final push to the Citadel, the same look he'd had the first night they'd been together. Her heart did flip flops in her chest as he stared at her as if seeing the inside of her soul. It took her a moment to find her voice.

"Didn't I say there was no Shepard without Vakarian? I _knew _you'd find me, and I lived…for you," she replied in a quietly confident voice.

Garrus did not break their gaze but simply moved closer to her, so that her lips were nearly touching his mouth. "I love you Alexandria Shepard," he whispered slowly.

"I love you too, always will," she replied with the slightest of smiles on her lips. Garrus closed the distance then, tenderly meeting her lips.

It was a gentle, timid kiss, for Garrus was fearful of pushing her in her current state, and Shepard wasn't sure how excited she could get in her current condition either. With her bandaged hand she caressed his unscarred cheek and let out a content little sigh. Mistaking this for discomfort Garrus carefully pulled away from their kiss and gazed at her with concern. She simply smiled at him in return.

"No pain?" He asked cautiously.

"None what so ever," Shepard said still smiling. Garrus nodded and flared his mandibles in a turian form of a smile.

He slowly ran a hand through her short dark hair, reveling in the foreignness of it. It didn't seem to matter how much time he spent around humans, he would never stop being in awe of human hair, specifically _her _hair. The way she tucked it behind her ears, or the way it would blow in the wind and the smell it gave off when he was close to her. While frequently he equated the feel of it between his fingers to something velvety and soft, currently it was on the coarse side, but that was probably because she hadn't been able to attend to it for over a week.

While Garrus and Shepard were enjoying their private moment of reunion, they were rudely interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Shepard's eyes darted to the door and Garrus turned to see who it was. Standing in the doorway with a few others behind him, was a salarian, the doctor Shepard assumed.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to check on the Commander, Mr. Vakarian," the salarian said with a touch of distaste in his voice.

"Sure," Garrus replied, the faintest color change taking place on his cheeks, the equivalent to a human blush.

Shepard watched the doctor approach, but glanced back at the door to see if Liara was following him in. To her surprise Liara was not the one following but instead Kaiden and Joker were. Joker looked like his usual self with his characteristic hobble and baseball cap. He looked no worse for the wear and Shepard didn't see any bandages or casts on him, so she assumed that the fight hadn't been that bad on him. Kaiden was a slightly different story. He wasn't dressed in his armor but instead in some kind of black casual attire, however it wasn't his clothing attire that struck Shepard; it was the heavy bruising across his neck and jawline that obviously extended up from his chest and the painful looking but apparently healing burn that she saw on the other side of his neck, that made her do a double take. She vaguely remembered having Kaiden and James with her during the final push and not knowing where they were after the laser from the Reaper had struck. She now hoped that James was alright, and was glad that this was the worst that Kaiden had apparently suffered.

"Joker! Kaiden!" Shepard exclaimed and smiled. They smiled at her in return.

"Hey Commander, good to see your still breathing," Joker casually remarked with a smirk.

"Shepard, I'm glad you're okay," Kaiden added quietly.

Before the salarian doctor got to Shepard he abruptly turned to Kaiden and Joker and stated, "You two should leave the room as I need to examine her. Mr. Vakarian I'd ask you to leave as well, but I know better," he finished and waved at Kaiden and Joker to exit. Joker shrugged and hobbled out, Kaiden turned to leave, but not before giving Shepard a longing look. Garrus simply backed away into the chair he'd been sleeping in earlier.

The salarian doctor got to Shepard's bedside and started clicking on buttons on the machines connected to Shepard. He pressed various keys, apparently digging up old data leading up to her awakening. Once he appeared satisfied with whatever it is he was looking for he turned to Shepard and eyed her carefully.

"How are you feeling?" He asked in a very serious tone. Shepard wasn't sure she liked him. He _didn't _remind her of Mordin. Mordin had at least been enjoyable to work with, probably not bad to have as a care provider either. This salarian on the other hand seemed mildly intrusive.

"I'm alright. My shoulder aches a little when I move it and my vision is still a little blurry, but otherwise I'm fine," Shepard finally responded.

Wasting no time, the salarian moved over to her injured shoulder in the sling and began examining it. He gently pulled it out of the sling, causing Shepard to wince briefly. Slowly he extended the arm and asked her where it hurt and how badly. After the two had gotten through that exercise he slid her arm back into the sling with impressive skill. He moved to her left hand then and set about removing the gauze. Shepard was expecting to see a hideously scarred, ugly injury under the bandage, but when the dressing was completely off she was shocked to only see little splotches of pink tissue across her knuckles and the back of her hand.

"How...?" She began only to be cut off by the salarian.

"Already possess the capability to heal at an exponential rate. The burn wasn't that bad to begin with, mildly infected, but antibiotics and disinfectant fixed that. Needed the heavy gauze to absorb pus that built up with infection. Looks much better now. Can leave the dressing off," the doctor said in a very pleased tone and gently set her hand back down on her lap.

He moved up to Shepard's forehead, pushing back some of her dark hair that obscured a tiny bandage that covered part of her temple. Shepard hadn't even realized she'd had a bandage up there, let alone an injury. The salarian peeled off the bandage and smiled at the drainage he saw there. He turned it around to Shepard, who wrinkled her nose at the small amount of pink fluid that had dried on the white bandage.

"Don't need this dressing either. All healed up, won't even scar; impressive." Shepard simply nodded.

Finally the doctor tossed off Shepard's dingy blanket and examined her leg in the cast. It was a thin cast, constructed of some sort of yellow looking synthetic material. She could see the bottom of her foot and toes sticking out at the end of the cast; she wiggled them. The salarian smiled in response.

"Good. Feeling okay?" He asked eagerly.

"Yeah; itches actually now that I think about it," Shepard replied absently, more focused on the itching that seemed to start from her heel and spread to the top of her calf.

"Good sign. Cast will come off very soon, day or two I think. Sling at least two days. Dislocation of the humerus caused some ligament tearing and sloppy relocation technique caused extensive bone grating. Assume you were in awkward position when trapped under debris in Citadel, exasperated shoulder realignment. Required more work and needs a little more time," the doctor rattled off in a satisfied but also disapproving tone. Apparently he thought that Shepard should have done a more medically approved job of relocating her shoulder and should've been pinned under debris in a position that was good for her shoulders healing.

Shepard snorted. "Next time I'm defending myself and I dislocate my shoulder I'll remember to relocate it with a physician's skill level then, and when I happen to be pinned under heavy debris, I'll make sure to get into an ideal position." The salarian narrowed his eyes.

"Sarcasm unnecessary. Will discontinue the IV today; solids should work fine for you from now on. Will have nurses in to check on you periodically. Not too much excitement for the rest of the day," the doctor stated and looked directly at Garrus who feigned confusion. The salarian looked once more to Shepard and then left the room.

Garrus rose from his chair and returned to Shepard's bedside. He helped her pull the blanket back up over her legs. Shepard looked down at her hand once more, surprised at how little it hurt. The doctor had said it had been a burn, and she vaguely remembered hitting the monstrous god child with her fist and feeling like making contact with the creatures flesh had burned her.

"He's…well, maybe he's not quite like Mordin," Garrus said rubbing the back of his neck.

Shepard smiled and said, "No. Not really," she was about to continue when Kaiden and Joker came back into the room.

"Doc all done probing places where the sun don't shine?" Joker teased with a grin. Shepard simply rolled her eyes.

"How are you two and what about the rest of the crew?" Shepard asked pensively. Kaiden responded before Joker could chime in a word.

"We're good and the crew is no worse for the wear. Everyone is accounted for on the Normandy. I think everybody has been into see you at least once while you've been here. We were pretty concerned for a while," Kaiden trailed off and looked down. Shepard was about to speak but Joker cut her off.

"Tali had to run back to Rannoch to work on something with a few of the geth and some of the fleet…still weirds me out, I mean geth and quarians getting along! But whatever…don't have a clue where Javik is, he's just…awh, strange. Yeah, strange. He's been running around saying all this hoodoo voodoo mumbo jumbo since the Reapers kicked it. Doesn't make any sense. _Trust me. _Vega 's still holed up like you in a bed. He's got a pretty nasty concussion and one hell of a fracture in the good old femur. Know how that feels! But he'll be fine, well once he detoxes from the steroids that is… And uh, yeah EDI is good. Was able to give odds and statistics about the chances of you living when we were searching for you on the Citadel. It wasn't exactly…helpful," Joker added rubbing his chin in thought.

"Well that's…enlightening," Shepard replied. Joker's descriptions of events was always entertaining. "What about you Kaiden? How are you holding up?"

Kaiden nodded gingerly and replied, "I'm good, Shepard. Glad you're alive. Glad the Reapers are dead." The response was lacking, but Shepard didn't feel like pressuring him for more. She was sure there was more; there was always more with Kaiden.

"Oh speaking of finding you on the Citadel…you should have seen Garrus! I mean, I wasn't really that helpful in the actual lifting of heavy objects part, but I searched…but Garrus, he was all over that place. It was like watching a blood hound—" Joker began with exuberance only to have Garrus clear his throat and shoot a warning glance at him.

"I was desperate to find you like everyone else. Besides I'm a turian; we're hard to kill and far a far superior sense of smell in comparison to humans. Better than a krogan nose!" Garrus boasted.

"Not sure about that one Garrus, but you _were _all over the Citadel. And let me tell you, that place was a disaster! Don't think it'll ever be the same…but yeah once we found you, or once _he _found you, he tossed this huge slab of concrete off of you like it was nothing. And then _he _was the one who swept you up like Superman and carried you the entire way out of the Citadel. Kaiden and a few others offered to carry you for a while, but damn, Garrus nearly bit their hand off when they offered. I managed to snap a picture of Garrus carrying you out from the wreckage. EDI's got it saved, if you'd like to see it," Joker concluded with a grin.

Shepard looked to Garrus with great admiration in her eyes. She had known he had looked for her, but hadn't known the depths to which he had searched for her. It touched her.

"Okay everyone, I think Shepard has had enough visitors for one day. Let's let her rest," Garrus suggested and started motioning everyone out.

Just as Joker and Kaiden were leaving Shepard remembered Liara and wondered why she hadn't seen a reappearance of her.

"Joker, where is Liara?" Shepard asked.

Joker paused at the threshold of the door and replied, "She said she had to meet with a few of the asari here to discuss future recovery plans for Thessia. I'm sure she'll be back to see you later. She's been here almost as often as Garrus."

Shepard nodded and watched them leave. Once everyone was gone she turned to Garrus who stood at her bedside. She smiled up at him, overjoyed at having him here and truly at her side.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep?" She asked timidly.

Garrus briefly turned away from Shepard and back to his chair and pulled it up close to Shepard's bedside. He sat down in it. "I'd love to."


	4. Chapter 4 Unpleasant Tidings

**A/N: **So here's chapter 4! I think I really enjoyed writing this part of it and for me it serves as just a little bit of intrigue for the main problem in the story, like a little slice of pie, sort of. Anyway I hope that you enjoy reading it and as always enjoy! Don't forget to comment please, they are always appreciated and helpful! :) And I've been forgetting to add this...Disclaimer: I do not own Bioware or any of it's characters, I own nothing, they all belong to Bioware.

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Four: Unpleasant Tidings

It had been three days since Shepard had awoken from her nine day slumber since the events on the Citadel. She had made excellent progress since that first day. The nurses at the facility had started her up and walking that first day, and while Shepard had had trouble at first, feeling weak and dizzy, she had adjusted quickly. Now she could walk unassisted and with very little dizziness or weakness, although she'd need to do a little bit of muscle toning and strengthening on her own time. Her cast had come off on the second day, which was a relief because she could now itch away at the dead accumulation of skin cells. Her right arm in the sling followed suit shortly later, and on the third day she was liberated from the sling. Thanks to Shepard's superb healing capabilities she was almost ready to be released from the medical facility.

Garrus had been with Shepard nearly every moment, only leaving to get some kind of food or to meet with any remaining turians on Earth to discuss Palaven relief efforts. When Shepard had wanted to get up on move around on her own, aiding in her muscle regeneration, Garrus had been at her side helping her along, and of course chuckling at her when she stumbled.

Most everyone had stopped by a few times in the last few days since she'd been awake. However, she had seen little of Liara. Liara had supposedly visited when Shepard had been consulting with the doctor and then later when she'd been about to go to sleep and as a result had stayed just a minute or two. Shepard was certain that Liara was busy with affairs on Thessia, but she was perplexed by her evasive behavior. She'd apparently been there almost as much as Garrus while Shepard had been unconscious, but now that she was awake she was hardly present. The behavior puzzled Shepard.

Kaiden had been by a few times to chat with Shepard. The conversations had been lighthearted and she didn't feel uncomfortable talking with him even though Garrus was present; Garrus even joined in on the conversations. However, whenever she would be talking with Kaiden she would feel as if she was only seeing the surface, as if there was some feeling that Kaiden was keeping from her. Shepard felt fairly confident that it had to do with their previous relations, although she had thought she'd put that behind her when she visited him at the medical center on the Citadel. But maybe not…

All in all, things seemed to be going well. The doctor planned to discharge her tomorrow and then she could be on her way to helping with the relief on Earth and anywhere else she was needed. Being discharged also meant she could enjoy the freedom of being in Garrus's company, something she very much looked forward to.

As Shepard sat in her bed she thought about leaving the medical facility tomorrow and how excited that made her. She looked down at her hands, her right arm now free of the sling and her left hand just barely showing evidence of a once painful burn. She smiled as she thought about all the things she'd like to do, and what she might want to eat, since the rations she'd received in this facility were disgusting.

"You know if you stare at your hands long enough, maybe they'll turn into three fingered turian hands. Now, that would be something," Garrus teased from the chair at her bedside. Shepard looked up, startled out of her thoughts, and gazed at Garrus.

"Always the smart ass, huh? Well, you might like three fingers but I enjoy my five," Shepard said giving him a teasing smile.

Garrus chuckled and gave her a mockingly serious look. "Humans and asari with their five fingers, makes them less capable in my opinion. Turians, quarians, we've got to work at things with added skill to make up for only having three fingers to work with. If you ask me that proves more finesse."

"Uh huh," Shepard replied simply and laughed at Garrus who still stared at her with a serious expression. His expression changed then and he gave a hardy laugh, his mandibles flaring widely.

After they both had shared a laugh, he rose from his chair and stood at her bedside and gently stroked her cheek before speaking.

"I told the Primarch I'd come by to discuss Palaven's status. I figured I go now when you're about to go to sleep," Garrus explained.

Shepard nodded and cupped the hand that stroked her cheek. "You don't need to feel obligated to stay here with me every waking moment, Garrus. I know that there's a lot to do on Palaven and that you're going to be involved with that, so by all means go and talk with the Primarch! I'm honestly surprised that the Primarch is even still here," Shepard remarked casually.

"I wanted to be here Shepard. When I have to talk to the Primarch or discuss Palaven, I do, but I _don't feel obligated_ to stay with you. I stayed because I wanted to be with you," he replied with an edge of seriousness in his voice.

"Thank you," Shepard whispered looking up at him.

Garrus nodded, looking pleased, and bent down to press his alien mouth against Shepard's cheek as she had once done to him. Shepard smiled at the very human gesture and watched him go. She sighed and leaned back into her bed, ready to fall asleep. It was late and the medical facility had gotten her into regular hours of waking and sleeping.

Just as Shepard was settling into her bed she heard someone walk into her room. She turned her head and was surprised to see Liara standing in the doorway. She looked startled to see Shepard awake, and Shepard absently wondered if Liara had intentionally come at an hour she expected Shepard to be engaged with Garrus or asleep.

"Liara," Shepard exclaimed.

"Shepard," Liara said in a whisper.

Liara hovered in the doorway for a moment, as if torn between two choices, and then she strode forward and into Shepard's room and slide into Garrus's chair. She didn't speak for a moment but simply looked down at her hands, which she had folded in her lap.

"Liara—"

"I'm sorry I haven't been here as often as I should have been," Liara interrupted looking Shepard directly in the eye. Shepard was quiet and waited for Liara to continue.

"It's just…it's been difficult, everything really has been since I, well all of us, thought that you were dead…again. When we lost you the first time I dedicated every resource I had into finding you and restoring you to what you were. That did lead me to Cerberus and the Illusive Man, but it also led to you returning to us," she hesitated and returned her soft gaze back to her hands. "This time, it was harder for me. When we said goodbye, I was certain that it would be for good. I didn't want that to happen, I could—I didn't want to have to experience the loss of you again. You're too good a friend, and too important to the galaxy to be lost, Shepard. I just couldn't fathom what life would be like without you, because this time I _wouldn't _be able to bring you back and that broke my heart." Liara was quiet again and continued to stare at her hands.

Shepard watched the young asari carefully, not sure how to proceed. She knew Liara cared about her deeply and knew that if she had died it would've affected Liara adversely, but she hadn't thought it would destroy her. Now, however, hearing and seeing Liara confess her feelings of sorrow about Shepard's final battle on the Citadel made her reanalyze what exactly it was Liara was feeling for her.

On the first Normandy, Liara had made it clear that she was interested in Shepard, and while Shepard had refused those advances and pursued Kaiden, she and Liara had still maintained a close bond. Liara had been accepting and encouraging of Shepard's relationship with Garrus from the beginning, but perhaps that was just Liara loving her in silence. Shepard didn't know and wasn't sure she wanted to know the full extent of Liara's feelings for her.

"Liara…I'm sorry. I didn't know that you felt that deeply about my situation or my not returning," Shepard hesitantly put her hand over Liara's hand in a gesture of comfort. "But I'm alive, I'm okay. You, Garrus, and Kaiden found me; you saved me. There's nothing to feel sad about anymore. I'm going to be out of here tomorrow and things can go back to normal, or however they were before the shit hit the fan with the Reapers."

Liara looked up, tears glistening in her eyes, which increased some of the tension Shepard was feeling with this situation. "I know Shepard…it's just, I did something. I made a decision, and I don't…I don't know how—"

"What? You chose to avoid me? Is that what this is about?" Shepard interrupted with an arched eyebrow.

For a moment Liara just stared at Shepard, seemingly confused. However then something seemed to click in her and she nodded vigorously.

"Yes. Yes, I was embarrassed at how emotional I was over your missing on the Citadel and then finding you alive. I was so certain that something would go wrong and I would never see you again that I was shocked to see you alive. I guess that shock made me distant…I didn't want to approach you until I could properly explain myself," Liara blurted out in a rush.

"It's okay Liara. I'm fine, and it's okay that you wanted to take your time to talk to me. I understand," Shepard said with a smile. Although somewhere deep down inside of her she felt certain that this was _not _what Liara had been trying to confess to her. Whatever confession she was really getting at Shepard didn't want to know about…at least not now.

"Good. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to speak with you at length, I'm glad you are doing well," Liara said smiling. Her previous anxiety seemed to be gone which made Shepard relax.

"I missed talking with you. You're always supportive no matter what. Thank you for that, Liara," Shepard said earnestly. Liara continued to smile and leaned in to hug Shepard. Shepard hugged her back.

"I should really let you sleep though Shepard. I'm sure you've had a long day and the days to come will be difficult," she remarked as she broke from the hug and moved to the foot of the bed, ready to exit.

"Alright, it was great to see you Liara. I know you must be planning on going to Thessia sometime soon, so before you go let me know, okay?"

"Okay," Liara replied with a demure little smile and with one last look at Shepard, she left.

Shepard watched her go and not for the first time wondered if there was _something else_ going on with Liara. Shrugging, Shepard pushed any thoughts of questions from her mind and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to claim her.

* * *

Two hours had passed and Garrus was only just finishing up his meeting with the Primarch. Liara had long since left the medical facility and was wrapping up data gathered on damage to Thessia. Kaiden Alenko was tied up in an important evening conversation with Admiral Hackett via computer about where his future could take him with the Alliance. Joker was playing, and losing, a match of Chess with EDI on the Normandy. James Vega was still recovering in his room in the medical facility he shared with Shepard. A few nebulas away, Tali was just boarding a ship from Rannoch to Earth, eager to get back to Commander Shepard. With all of Shepard's immediate crew was indisposed no one was currently stationed in Shepard's room. Shepard had been sleeping soundly for the last two hours, oblivious to Garrus's absence or to the female intruder that had quietly entered her room.

No one had seen anything out of the ordinary when she came to Earth only a day before. She'd been like anyone else who had perhaps been on one of the ships in orbit around Earth or had just arrived through one of the Mass Relays to help in relief efforts. No one thought twice about her appearance.

She was human and other than her rather tall, lanky appearance she warranted no special looks or treatment. She had short black hair and appeared to be of Asian descent, and while a glance at her would prove nothing special, if one where to really _watch _her, they would see that she didn't quite move like an ordinary person. Her movements seemed to have an almost snake like quality to them; as if she was expecting to be attacked and constantly prepped to sneak away or to strike.

It was with that snake like grace that had allowed her to skip past any authorities or law figures that were around the designated docking places for incoming space traffic. She'd simply docked, walked off the transport she'd been on, which hadn't previously been in orbit around Earth during the Reaper battle, and slipped out with the other passengers on the ship. No one had even noticed as she broke away from the group and made her way to the first medical aide tent she saw. It was here that she had inquired about medical facilities that were more secure and underground.

Everything had gone smoothly, no one had questioned her, and why would they? After all, the Reapers had been destroyed and the galaxy continued to stand in a state of unity, a united front. The biggest threat that was currently faced was helping the planets majorly hit get back on their feet and dealing with the masses of injured and deceased. No one would expect a tall, skinny, Asian girl to be a threat or that she could possibly have an ulterior motive for wanting to get to the underground medical facility that served as a more secure location for advanced medical treatment.

Now as she stood in the doorway of Commander Alexandria Shepard's room, she let out a tiny sigh. Her target was in sight and the plan was about to go into action. She had travelled quite a ways to get to the woman who lay before her, completely unaware of the dangerous stranger that stood not far away. Her Mistress had sent her specifically, a task that she had taken with pride, and she would not fail, she would carry out the task at hand.

With a quickness that would've startled most individuals, the woman closed the gap between the door and the bed in a flash. She stood over her prey, examining her. Shepard's short dark hair was plastered across the white pillow, her face was peaceful and her eyelids fluttered indicating that she was lost in a dream. The woman looked down at Shepard's body and was displeased that she didn't look more damaged. Her arms and legs were free and her face appeared unmarred, and it was likely that a fair degree of her strength had returned to her. The woman didn't like that, but she did have the element of surprise, in that Shepard would never see the attack coming.

She leaned forward, inhaling the scent of her prey and eyeing up Shepard's exposed neck like a dog drooling at the sight of a bone. Then, with the speed of a snake she struck. Her hands latched onto Shepard's throat like a vice and surprising strength flowed through her hands. Shepard's eyes shot open with alarm, but were heavy with confusion and panic. She made choking sounds and then began thrashing in the bed and hitting at her attacker with her hands. The woman, the snake, smiled; Shepard would die at her hands.

* * *

Shepard wanted air, needed it, but the bitch that hovered over her clamped her airway shut, denying Shepard what she desperately needed. Angrily, Shepard swatted at the woman above her, but the woman seemed impervious to Shepard's swats. Shepard briefly thought about using her biotics, but then remembered that the doctor had currently deactivated her L5 implants to ensure she didn't stress herself, and wouldn't reactivate them until she was discharged. With the implants deactivated, any biotic energy Shepard mustered up would be pitiful.

Choking, Shepard continued to thrash about, knocking her legs in the bed and desperately trying to flip her body making her attacker lose her balance. None of this seemed to work since the attacker hadn't budged at all despite Shepard's efforts to flip her own body to throw off the woman above her. Finally she recalled something she had learned years ago when she'd been taught basic self-defense. She took both of her arms and slid them between her assailants strangling arms and with all the strength she could muster pushed outwards. The attacker's arms loosened; Shepard saw her opportunity.

With speed that the attacker never predicted Shepard would be capable of, she shot up like a rod in the bed and knocked the woman's hands completely away from her neck. The woman was slightly stunned and therefore didn't have enough time to react to Shepard's right hook impacting with her chin. The attacker stumbled backwards, dazed by the blow. Shepard meanwhile hungrily gasped for air, and rolled out of the bed and clumsily grabbed an IV pole that was standing at the head of the bed. She swung it like a drunken baseball player and whirled it in her assailant's direction. However, instead of feeling the satisfying thud of the pole slamming into the attacking woman's body she felt it clank against the wall near her bed. Shepard stared in confusion as the woman who she had every intention of clobbering with the pole, now stood a ways away from her. Apparently she'd anticipated the blow and dodged out of the way with lightning speed.

"Someone's going to die, and it isn't going to be me," Shepard gasped, feeling a stabbing headache form in her temples.

The woman before her said nothing but lunged instead for Shepard, tearing the pole out of her hands. It clattered on the floor behind them. Shepard swung at the attacker, but the nimble little woman ducked and barreled into Shepard's stomach, pinning her down onto the bed. With her upper body pinned to the bed and her lower body hanging off the bed, Shepard struggled as the attacker tried to get a grip on her neck again. Shepard continued to knock the woman's hands away, but she always came back with grabbing, skillful hands.

A hard slap across Shepard's face stunned her briefly, but long enough for the woman to land her strike. Just as the attackers hand's slipped around Shepard's neck again she managed to get out a little scream, although it was hardly loud enough to wake the patient in the room next to Shepard's. Shepard felt blood in her mouth and pain on her lip, most likely being cracked open from the slap. _I refuse to die this way, _Shepard though angrily and continued to struggle against the woman.

Just as Shepard began clawing at the woman's eyes, the woman's hands suddenly loosened up and fell away completely. Shepard took in a deep gasp of air and coughed. She shoved the woman off of her a moment later and then continued gasping for air as the attacker just sat on the floor from where she'd fallen, doing nothing. Shepard turned her head to the side and rubbed at her throat, feeling tears squeeze out of her eyes as her head pounded like she'd just been hit in the head with a club. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the woman stand and back away. She continued standing there, watching Shepard.

Slowly Shepard lifted her head and stared at the woman. The faint glow from the hallway cast just enough light for Shepard to see the woman's eyes. What she saw there frightened her. The woman had absolutely vacant eyes, eerily similar to that of a corpse. There was no feeling in the eyes, there was absolutely nothing.

Shepard pulled the rest of her body onto the bed and backed away from the woman, until she was on the very edge of the bed. She thought about running wildly out of the room, but thought better of it since the woman didn't appear to be a threat anymore. The woman before her continued to stare; with empty, hollow eyes. Shepard felt unnerved looking into those eyes, felt as if there was no soul, but also felt a sense of familiarity to those eyes, as if she'd seen them somewhere before. If she looked hard enough she thought she saw just a speck of a burning blue flame in the back of the woman's eyes…

At that thought Shepard's eyes widened and she backed off the edge of the bed until she fell onto the floor. Her head spun and her breathing picked up, as if she had been freshly deprived of oxygen. _Blue flame, _Shepard thought in a panic. She continued to back away from the woman until she was against the wall. Her eyes darted nervously toward the door, but the hollow eyed woman was closer to the door than Shepard was; she would be able to intercept Shepard.

Suddenly the woman stepped forward in a direct motion to move closer to Shepard. Shepard felt her heart quicken, wanted to scream but felt her mouth dry and her voice leave her.

"Join us, Shepard; come with us, you _belong _with us," the woman said in a voice that didn't sound quite human. She continued to move closer to Shepard.

Shepard was certain she saw the blue flame burning in the back of those eyes now. Whatever the thing before her was, it wasn't human, at least not entirely. _The god child's monster form had blue flame eyes…is that what this is? The god child reincarnated? _Shepard thought in a panic. But no, she was certain she had killed the creator of the Reapers…this, this was something else. Perhaps it had Reaper origins, but she couldn't, wouldn't, believe that it was any semblance of the creator she had destroyed on the Citadel.

"Join us. Be one with us," the woman whispered and edged closer, standing in front of the doorway now.

"No!" Shepard screamed, this time loud enough for anyone in the hall to hear.

Another step closer to her…and then the sound of a gun firing broke the silence that hung between Shepard and the strange woman. Shepard watched as the woman in front of her stumbled to the side and collapsed to her knees. She held her shoulder and looked down at the dark fluid that ran out between her fingers. Shepard realized it was blood that was running down the woman's arm and hand and that someone from in the hall had shot her. She stared at the woman before her and then in horror realized that despite being shot and bleeding, the woman had continued to move forward toward her.

"Do not resist us," the woman murmured through clenched teeth, obviously in pain. Shepard could hear footsteps outside in the hall, quickly approaching her room.

Shepard stared at the bleeding woman in front of her and whispered angrily, "I killed you, you motherfucker."

The woman paused her eyes still hollow and murmured just before someone crashed in through the door, "_I am not the Creator._"

Garrus came barreling in the doorway then and slammed into the woman. His heavy armor impacted with the woman's upper body, violently forcing her into the foot of Shepard's bed. The woman's neck made contact with the edge of the bed and Shepard heard the sickening crack of bone and knew that the attacker had just broken her neck. Shepard watched as the body limply fell away from Garrus as he stood up, not paying any attention to it at all. He rushed over to Shepard, concern and anger heavy in his eyes.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" He asked in a rush. Others had followed Garrus into the room and were turning on lights, surveying the damage. Most of them were nurses and a few doctors, it looked like even a soldier or two had come into investigate.

Shepard met Garrus's anxious expression and nodded slowly. Finally she found her voice and whispered, "I don't know what happened…she just came out of nowhere and tried to strangle me." Shepard rubbed at her neck on instinct. Garrus looked at Shepard's neck and his forehead creased in a frown. He pulled her hand aside and ran his own hand across Shepard's red and quickly bruising neck. His gloves were on so she didn't feel his characteristically sharp talons run across her delicate skin.

"You're bleeding," Garrus noted as he glanced up from her neck to her mouth. He gently touched a spot on her lip.

"Oh," Shepard whispered and touched her own fingers to where Garrus's hand had been just a moment before. "She hit me."

Letting out a quiet growl, Garrus turned from Shepard and to the nurses, doctors, and few soldiers in the room and snapped, "You wanna get that body out of here sooner rather than later?" The nurses shot embarrassed glances, while the doctors and soldiers gave Garrus a look of irritation. Slowly they began scooping up the body and carrying her out. One of the nurses left and returned a few minutes later with some cleaning solution to clean up the spilled blood.

Once the body was gone and the blood cleaned up and Shepard back in her bed and relatively calm she relayed the events of the attack to both Garrus and a man who identified himself as the medical facilities 'acting security officer'. Shepard chose to omit the part about what the woman said to her for fear that it would confuse the security officer and concern Garrus. After the security guard had asked several questions he told Shepard he would advise Admiral Hackett of the situation and intended to tighten up security around the facility. He left shortly later.

"They'll need to do an autopsy," Shepard murmured to herself absently. Garrus gave her a curious glance.

"Why would they do that?" He asked suspiciously.

Shepard glanced his way and shook her head absently, "I just think they should…something about her, well it made me think of the Reapers; like maybe she was indoctrinated…perhaps there was more to her…" Shepard suggested as she gently rubbed her neck, remembering the woman's vice grip on her throat.

Garrus, noticing Shepard's obvious discomfort, moved in next to her and took her hands in reassurance. "Shepard, the Reapers are dead; all of them. There may be some outliers I guess, like a Brute or Marauder here and there, but there _aren't _Reapers anymore, which means _no more_ indoctrination." His expression was sincere and provided Shepard with mild comfort.

Sighing, Shepard leaned her aching head onto Garrus's shoulder and replied, "You're probably right. I'm just spooked is all. Fight the Reapers for what seems like an eternity and I guess you start to see them everywhere. Hopefully that will wear off with time."

"It will, and if you have trouble with it, I'm sure we'll be able to find ways to distract you," the last portion of what Garrus said was stated in a very suggestive manner.

Smiling, Shepard responded, "Oh _you'll _be certain to find ways to _distract _me!"

Even though a large part of Shepard felt reassured, there was still some part of her that felt like this strange woman was only the tip of an unseen ice burg.


	5. Chapter 5 What the Future Holds

**A/N: **So here is chapter 5...I struggled with the beginning of this chapter; don't really know why, but I hope despite that that everyone enjoys it. I think the middle and end aren't bad. I've currently written through chapter 8 now and will begin working on chapter 9 later today. The plot is fairly well worked out in my head so updates should be fairly regular because I know where the story is headed. Anyway enjoy reading it! Thank you everyone for commenting so far, they are always appreciated!

* * *

Five: What the Future Holds

Shepard sat on the edge of her bed eagerly awaiting Garrus to return to her room along with the salarian doctor. Once Garrus returned with the doctor in tow it would mean that she was free to leave. She imagined that the doctor would have a few things to tell her to do after her discharge, but honestly she really didn't care. All that mattered was that she was finally free to leave the medical facility and start helping in the relief efforts on Earth.

Rising from her bed, Shepard walked over to the doorway to gaze out in the hallway. She saw a few humans walking around the hall, and assumed they were nurses or doctors, and continued her vigil for Garrus and the salarian doctor.

As she stood in the doorway she remembered that only a little over 48 hours ago a strange woman assassin had snuck into her room and attempted to kill her. The murder attempt had made the salarian put his foot down and demand that Shepard stay an additional day, putting off her discharge. Security had indeed been beefed up around the facility with the addition of a handful of armed guards. Shepard had to wonder if they had specifically been placed at the facility not just for general security, but specifically for Shepard's safety. While she hadn't completely accepted or acknowledged the fact, she was indeed the _savior of the galaxy_ and had some degree of celebrity as a result…much more so than she used to.

Since the murder attempt she had received word that Admiral Hackett intended to speak with her as soon as she was available after her discharge from the medical facility. Shepard knew that he would want a full debriefing of what happened on the Citadel and what exactly happened the night the woman tried to kill her. She expected he would also be informing her of whatever task he had planned for her next. While Shepard wanted to be a part of the relief on Earth she didn't much like the idea of being assigned another insurmountable task and secretly hoped Hackett would just tell her to aide relief efforts on Earth in whatever way she could.

Lost in thought, Shepard missed Garrus's tall frame sauntering down the hall with the salarian behind him. As a result Garrus nearly bumped into her at the threshold of the door.

"Oh! Garrus! Guess I was lost in thought," Shepard exclaimed as Garrus halted inches away from her.

Garrus gave her a sly wink and said, "Not a problem Shepard, just bringing in the help."

"Before discharge, I have a few things we must go over. Probably good if you are here too," the salarian nodded to Garrus, "can help enforce some of the instructions."

"Okay," Shepard said cautiously, not sure she'd like what the salarian would tell her she could and couldn't do.

"Fire away," Garrus chimed in from beside Shepard. The salarian nodded.

"First of all, I suggest _no strenuous _activity for at least a week; meaning no heavy lifting, no unneeded stress, no strenuous exercise, do not engage in extreme sports or activities. I also must advise that you do no engage in _any _sexual intercourse during the week as well. That activity counts as _strenuous activity_," the salarian rattled off. The last portion of what he said he stated slowly as if trying to really make his point.

"Alright I think I can handle that. Think you can, Garrus?" Shepard teased, looking at Garrus with a suggestive expression.

"I don't know Shepard…that last part the doctor mentioned might be pretty tough to avoid, given all the unneeded stress I've accumulated these last few days," Garrus said with a mischievous expression plastered all over his face.

"Can find other outlets for release if you must," the salarian remarked and for a split second Shepard thought she saw the salarian wrinkle his nose in disgust at the thought of _other outlets. _

"Anything else I should know _not _to do?" Shepard asked.

"Yes. Suggest you do not use biotic capability for at least a week as well. Took the liberty of reactivating the L5 implants in you this morning, so while active, I still advise you not use them for a week. Recommend you slowly ease into physical activity. Don't push self .After a week take caution when using more powerful abilities. Two weeks and you should be just as you were before damage on Citadel occurred," the doctor said and then smiled at Shepard. He then held out his hand for Shepard to shake.

Shepard paused for a moment and then took the salarians hand and shook it. "Thank you…am I free to go now?" She asked.

"Yes. Good luck Commander Shepard. Was an honor treating you," the salarian said with a smile.

Garrus took Shepard's other hand and led the way out of the little room that had served as Shepard's room for recovery. As she and Garrus entered the hallway she felt mild excitement in the pit of her stomach as it became clear to her she really was free to do as she pleased now. What would life be like now that there wasn't the constant threat of Reapers looming on the horizon?

As Shepard and Garrus passed through the hall a few of the nurses and doctors moved out of their way as if she and Garrus were royal figures that inspired awe. As they continued down the hall, Shepard just stared in confusion as the nurses and various doctors glanced their way and then quickly slid to the side of the hall to watch the couple exit the building.

Scooting closer to Garrus, Shepard whispered, "Why are they all staring at us?"

"Because you've become the heroine of the galaxy," he replied absently as they continued down the hall. Shepard just blinked at his reply. She didn't think of herself as a hero, she had just done what anyone else would do in a similar situation. Yes, she had done some impressive things over the months, but it was all to save the galaxy from a terrible threat. Wouldn't someone else have done the same?

At the end of the hall were a pair of pale gray double doors that lead to some sort of corridor. As Shepard and Garrus passed through the double doors and walked into the corridor, she was met with stone floors and walls. The walls had some mild scorch marks on them, indicating to her that this facility at some point had seen explosions.

"Okay, ready to see the sun?" Garrus asked pleasantly.

Shepard looked ahead at the large, steel plated elevator that they were apparently about to board. She gazed back at Garrus and smiled eagerly. "I am."

Together the two boarded the elevator and began riding it up to the top; to blue sky and the sun.

The elevator doors opened to what looked like some kind of factory. Whatever factor they were in however, had certainly seen better days. The floor had dust and debris scattered all over it, several of the large windows that were off in the distance were cracked or broken and pieces of the ceilings electrical configuration were hanging out; this place had seen battle. Beyond the broken windows though, Shepard could clearly see sun shining outside and felt her heart flutter in excitement at the thought of seeing the sun shining; of seeing Earth _without _Reapers invading it.

Shepard let go of Garrus's hand and walked towards one of the broken windows to stand in a ray of sunshine that was cast through it. Her fingers touched the warmth of the sun first and Shepard felt a smile come to her face. She took another step and felt the rays of sun warm her entire body. Squinting her eyes against the glare, she gazed outside the window to the street beyond the building she was in. The street itself looked war torn with trees that had once stood, now snapped and scorched. The sidewalk and street was either blackened from explosions and fire or had deep chunks of it missing.

Her smile faded as she took in the degree of devastation that she saw. Just the street outside this little building looked like a disaster area; she could only imagine how the rest of earth looked.

"Is it all like this?" Shepard whispered quietly looking out the window.

Garrus stepped into the sunlight with her and gazed out the window. His face was not cheery, but it didn't hold the same grim reality that Shepard's did. He looked over at Shepard and replied, "Earth's been hit pretty bad, Shepard, but things are looking up. It's worst when you see it for the first time, but once you're out there for a little while you realize that things could be a lot worse."

"Okay. I'm ready to face the music," Shepard said quietly and reached for Garrus's hand. Garrus curled his own hand around Shepard's and the two walked out of the building and into the light.

* * *

While there were places where the destruction had been extreme, there were other spots where the destruction was minimal. Some places, usually those that appeared to have received less damage, were the places that people clustered. Tents were strewn all over these places in various locations and there were a multitude of species that gathered. Shepard saw the majority was human, but she saw lots of krogan, asari, salarians, and turians were mixed in as well. She had also spotted a few quarians and geth shuffling around the various tents. The number of other species still on Earth surprised her. She had thought for certain that most of the other species would return home to their planets to do their own recovery on their home world.

As Shepard and Garrus crossed through the more populated areas, a few people shot them curious glances. Shepard wondered if these people knew who she was too. As far as she could tell, she didn't recognize any of them and wasn't sure how they would know her. Was there a huge billboard with her face painted on it somewhere that she didn't know about?

"Where are we going exactly Garrus? I don't know the lay of the land here that well," Shepard asked quietly. While she had landed in London to fight and press on with the final push, she wasn't all that familiar with it. And despite the fact that she'd spent her whole recovery in an underground medical facility in the same London, she wasn't sure of where she was going.

Garrus chuckled next to her and said, "Takes some getting used to, trust me I know…but we're heading over to the Normandy right now. She's in dry dock and given that she's _your _ship I think she'll be where your _official _quarters are."

"Oh…what about Admiral Hackett? He wanted to speak with me as soon as possible," Shepard mused as she wondered where on earth it was Hackett was stationed.

"Heard he's still up in orbit, working on ship repairs or something along those lines," Garrus replied.

"I would've thought he'd be down here by now."

"Well you know how it goes with the hierarchy in military. While they may want to be on the frontlines of battle or the recovery side of things, frequently they are behind the scenes planning things."

"Guess that's why I'm not an Admiral. I'd be useless just _planning_ and not _acting_."

"Exactly my reasons for not wanting to get more involved in turian government than I already am," Garrus said with a snort.

Slowly the two made it to the designated docking area and began sorting through docking bay information that told them where exactly the Normandy was stationed. There were only a handful of ships in dry dock on Earth because most ships docked, purged their load, picked up a new load and then took off again. Few remained docked. They discovered the Normandy was only a little ways from where they were looking through the docking information. It would be a short walk to the ship.

Shortly later Garrus and Shepard were standing before the Normandy. Other than a few spots of blackened metal and dents here and there, she appeared no worse for the wear. The Normandy had come through the fight in fairly good condition.

After a few moments both Garrus and Shepard stood in the Normandy's docking bay, and Shepard was pleased to see that little had changed about it. Some of the transport ships were present, but Cortez's preferred transport appeared to be missing. Shepard vaguely recalled that ship getting nearly destroyed when he'd dropped them in London. She wondered if he was on the ship…

Shepard turned to Garrus and eagerly asked, "Is there anyone else on the ship?"

Garrus replied, "Joker and EDI were here the last time I came by, but the rest of the crew isn't scheduled to come back until later. They knew you were getting discharged today, but didn't know when so they agreed to be here this evening."

"They're all coming?" Shepard asked, surprised.

"For you? Of course! Tali's even here now. We figured it was best to have a reunion sooner than later since there's a lot to be done," Garrus replied playfully. Shepard smiled in return.

After a brief run in with some kind of maintenance person the cargo hold, who had told them that EDI's physical form and Joker were currently off the ship, Garrus and Shepard headed upstairs for her cabin. Once there Shepard decided to contact Admiral Hackett, Garrus kindly stepped out during the call.

Sitting at her desk, Shepard used her computer console to put in a video call to Hackett's ship. She waited a little while before Admiral Hackett appeared on the screen, looking no worse for the wear.

"Shepard! It's good to see your face. I hear you're up and moving again," Admiral Hackett said from the screen.

"Good to see you too Admiral. How are the recovery efforts going?" Shepard asked curiously.

"Recovery is going as expected. Things are a little tight since the whole galaxy felt the impact of the Reapers. Rations are running a little low, but we're managing. Cleanup is progressing well, but the major issue are the injured. We still have heavy masses of injured and we're running out of medical supplies for them. Hopefully the quarians can provide us with some medical relief, that's what we're hoping anyway," Hackett replied in length, frowning a little.

Shepard nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Right now all I want you to do is tell me what happened on the Citadel, and explain to me what it is I'm hearing about some woman who broke into your hospital room and tried to kill you," Hackett stated.

Slowly, and with as much detail as she could recall Shepard explained the events on the Citadel. She opted to omit the portion about the god child telling her about her predecessors and that she was the equal to the Reapers. Remembering Garrus's and Liara's responses had educated her on the mixed response she was likely to get. When she was done explaining about the Citadel she went straight into explaining about the female attacker. She explained how the woman had somehow snuck past everyone and attempted to kill Shepard for no apparent reason. Once again, Shepard omitted the part of the story when the strange woman spoke to her of _becoming one_. After skipping over that part she simply explained that Garrus had accidentally killed the woman resulting in what very little they knew about her.

After Shepard had finished relaying the details of the Citadel and the would-be assassin, she sat back in her chair and waited for Hackett's response. She wasn't sure what to expect.

"So this creature claimed to be the creator of the Reapers?" Hackett asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes, and I'm inclined to believe it since the Reapers were destroyed upon its death…how exactly, I'm not entirely sure," Shepard replied, rubbing her temples.

"Well damn good job Shepard…I don't know how you managed it, but you did it, and I don't quite understand it, but apparently it all worked, so job well done," he paused before continuing, "I'm sorry about Anderson. I know that must have been hard. We're planning on creating a memorial for him when we have the resources."

Shepard smiled at that. "I think that's an excellent idea. He deserves that."

"About the assassin…I'm not sure why, but I get the feeling that maybe we haven't seen the last of people like her," Hackett remarked cautiously.

"What makes you think that?" Shepard asked a touch of fear in her voice.

"I don't know. It just seems odd that one girl randomly tries to kill you. Either she was crazy or she had some bigger motive for attempting to murder you…but the way you say she suddenly stopped, and just sat there, that's odd. I don't know. Just keep an eye out for suspicious behavior Shepard," Hackett said rubbing his chin in thought.

"Will do Sir," Shepard murmured.

Hackett shifted on the screen in front of Shepard and seemed to be thinking. Finally he spoke and said, "Right now Shepard I want you to do is relax. We can't afford to lose you to overworking yourself. Try to make yourself useful in the relief efforts. Help repair some of the more important damaged things or volunteer in one of the medical tents…just take it easy whatever you do. I'd love to give you a break completely, but now's not the time, but we'll get there soon. I'd say go and help with the relief efforts on Thessia or Palaven, especially since you've deeper connections to the turian side of things, but I'd like you here on Earth."

Shepard nodded saying, "Alright Admiral. I'll do my best here on Earth to help make things better."

"Good. I'll be back down to Earth in a little over a week, so we can meet in person then. In the meantime Shepard, relax for the moment and when you do get out there, don't push yourself too hard. Hackett out." With that last bit said, Hackett's image faded from the computer and Shepard stared at the blank screen.

Slowly she turned from the screen and walked into her tiny little bathroom. Once inside she went to the mirror and stared at her reflection. Dark brown, silky, short hair framed her pale and slightly bruised face. Her cracked lip was healing and was barely a scab anymore, but it still marked a moment of panic and fear for Shepard. She stared at her dark blue eyes and wondered if when people gazed into her eyes they saw not only the strong confident woman but the broken one as well. She'd lost too many people she cared about over the years; Ashley, Thane, Mordin, Legion, Anderson, and many others. She'd died trying to protect and fight for what she believed in only to be brought back to continue fighting the same enemy that had killed her. While she had won the overall battle with the Reapers, a part of her felt permanently broken. She couldn't save everyone and deep down she felt like she hadn't saved enough and could've saved more.

"Commander Shepard, Garrus would like to reenter your Cabin," EDI's voice called out from overhead. Shepard lifted her head and smiled. She'd forgotten that even though EDI had her physical form, technically she was present everywhere at all times on the ship.

"Thank you EDI, let him in, and it's good to hear your voice," Shepard said looking up as if EDI was hiding in her ceiling.

"It is good to see you as well Commander," EDI responded and then returned to silence. Shepard heard her cabin door slide open. She exited the bathroom before Garrus could catch her staring at her reflection.

"How'd the conversation go with Hackett? Did he set you free to run away to Palaven with me? You know Palaven is known for having some very impressive beaches," Garrus remarked casually and leaned against Shepard's desk.

Shepard smiled and walked past him to lie on her bed. "Hackett told me I have to stay on Earth and while a part of me would love to run away to Palaven with you and forget all the blood and carnage that's been spread over Earth I have to stay here. It's my home," Shepard murmured softly. Garrus left the desk and moved to lie down on the bed next to Shepard. The two of them gazed up at Shepard's ceiling window that let them look up at the blue sky and clouds instead of the stars of space.

"I understand Shepard. But someday, you _are _going to come to Palaven with me and to one of my favorite beaches there. You'll like it," Garrus purred quietly next to Shepard.

Rolling over so that she was facing him, Shepard gently touched Garrus's head fringe, running her fingers along the length of one of them. Garrus groaned quietly in response.

"Shepard you are going to make it very hard to keep me from engaging you in _strenuous activity _if you keep doing things like that," Garrus said shifting his head away from Shepard's hand.

A blush rose over Shepard's cheeks. "Sorry. I like your fringe; it's so different from human hair. The difference is nice," Shepard whispered looking down.

Garrus caught her chin with his hand and said, "Don't be embarrassed Shepard. It'll just make _our reunion _all the more enjoyable." He leaned in then and pressed his mouth to her forehead, placing a tender kiss there. Shepard smiled and slyly moved forward so that she was nearly nose to nose with Garrus.

"I'll try not to tease you too much during this week that I'm not allowed any strenuous activity," she playfully remarked.

Garrus chuckled, flaring his mandibles, "I think that's going to be easier for you than it is for me," he closed the distance between the two and met Shepard's mouth. Sheprad's talented lips parted for Garrus's eel like tongue to intermingle with her own tongue. Garrus's hand slipped over to Shepard's shoulder and then down to the small of her back. Shepard moved one of her hands back over Garrus's fringe while the other fumbled with the heavy armor he was still wearing.

"I apologize for the intrusion Commander Shepard, but Dr. Simeka was clear in his description of strenuous activities. I suggest you halt in your current activity," EDI interrupted from overhead.

Shepard and Garrus pulled away from each other as if they'd been burned from each other's touch. Shepard's face was red as she said in an irritated embarrassed voice, "Dr. Simeka? The salarian doctor? EDI how do you know what I can and can't do?"

"Yes; Dr. Simeka, the salarian doctor who treated you. Dr. Simeka sent the Normandy medlab a list of your discharge instructions. Since it was sent directly to the Normandy I was able to intercept it and took the liberty of processing it before it could be read by anyone else," EDI replied in a no nonsense way.

Garrus quietly laughed at Shepard's side. Shepard rolled her eyes and replied, "Thank you EDI for reminding me of my…limitations."

"I only wish to ensure your wellbeing Shepard," EDI replied and was then silent.

After a moment of silence Garrus sat up and said, "She may be synthetic, but she's definitely got a sense of humor."

"That she does," Shepard replied and continued to stare up above her at the ceiling window.


	6. Chapter 6 Unity Lost

**A/N: **So this is a little different style for the story. It's a third person but it's not Shepard's voice; it's more like intrigue for the readers. It allows you to climb inside the head of the villain for a little while. Hopefully it interests and doesn't confuse. It can get a little confusing because I don't reveal what my villain is or what her name is, more of that will come later. And if you hate this chapter then just stick with it and we'll be back on track with ch. 7, I promise! Also, something I wanted to clear up so that if this has been inferred, I can un-infer it. My femshep and Garrus aren't married, they're just together. Doesn't mean I won't go there, but as of now they're just dating. And lastly, people are gonna start leaving Earth. Trust me on that one. I'm not a big fan of staying on Earth personally, I'm ready to get everyone off of Earth, but it's going to take a little bit of time. Well that's all, enjoy, I hope nothing is that confusing. Thanks for the comments, they're always appreciated!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters belong to Bioware.

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Six: Unity Lost

For two years she had heard her Father, her Creator, speak to her; she had heard all of the voices. Never had she been alone. Father had told her she was special, different from her brothers and sisters, but still a servant to Him. She had never resisted this for it was built into her very core to serve the Creator. Father had been clear in what she was to do; find and control the ones that she encountered and destroy the ones who resisted. She had done just as she was told, everyone she encountered she dominated, exerted her will, and eventually they submitted to her; she was their Mistress. Those that resisted her, she destroyed without a second thought; it was her duty.

Recently however, things changed. She felt the voices cry out, heard a few of her brothers and sisters become silent. The tides of change seemed to fill the atmosphere, but she felt no fear, for the Father was confident. However, the voices had gotten louder and louder, screaming warnings, that even she, nebulas away, responded to. She called out to her followers, ordered them to investigate and to help in any way they could. However, there wasn't enough time…the brothers and sisters continued to cry and then most disturbing of all, Father cried.

She heard it as if He had been sitting next to her, so loud, so powerful. Her mind felt as if it would shatter, but it didn't. The Creator screamed, her brothers and sisters screamed and then everything was silent. However just before the Creator was completely silenced He called out to any remaining children He had. He revealed a name.

"Commander Shepard."

It was the only thing she heard before the screams filled her ears and then everything went silent. Even she was silent for a time. Her subjects worried, they felt disconnected…their Mistress was broken and potentially dead. They had no direction. But then the Mistress had awoken with the name in her head, 'Commander Shepard', it filled her ears, filled every part of her. She needed to find out what this 'Commander Shepard' was and exactly what it had done to the Father.

Commanding her followers was difficult though without the guidance of the Creator or her brothers and sisters. She struggled at first; struggled with the silence of her mind and the questions of her subjects minds. She controlled them, that was true, but now she needed to command them independently, something she had never done before.

Eventually she adapted. The Mistress commanded her subjects and they obeyed. She needed information on Commander Shepard; needed to know what species this Shepard was, needed to know what connection this Shepard shared with the Creator.

It was not long before one of her followers approached her with the answers she desired. The Commander Shepard was a human female, renowned for battle victories and her fight against the _Reapers_.

That name, the _Reapers, _made her mind buzz. There was familiarity behind it. Her brothers and sisters had used it and her Father had used it as well. When she'd seen shared memories from the Creator or her brothers and sisters she had seen species who had called her brother and sisters _Reapers_. Apparently it was an accepted term to the other species of the galaxy. She did not consider herself a _Reaper, _but she didn't exactly know what else to call herself, she had never been directly told what she was or what species she was now a part of. All she knew was that she was a part of something bigger and more important than any other type of life form in the galaxy.

The Mistress pressed her subject further about for more knowledge on Commander Shepard. The subject explained that Commander Shepard had been at the heart of the battle around the planet called Earth. While exact details weren't known, it was being said that Commander Shepard had completely destroyed the Reapers by unknown means.

Upon hearing this, she became enraged. Her Father and brothers and sisters, dead? A part of her had thought their destruction a possibility, but a bigger part of her thought the chances of them dying were slim. But this pitiful human had destroyed her family? It was not possible.

In memories she had seen through the Creator she'd observed other species, none previously human, but other species meet the Creator. The other species had met the Creator like the human Shepard had, but they had all succumbed to His will. How was it possible that this lone human did not give in to her Father's will? The Creator dominated all things He touched.

Now the Mistress felt she knew why the last thing she heard the Creator call out in her mind was the name of the human. He wanted her to destroy the human, and wreak havoc on all the species that had aided in the human's victory against her and her kind. She decided she needed to learn everything she could about this Shepard person and send one of her minions to destroy the human Shepard.

For a while all the Mistress thought of was which follower she should choose. There were many, for in the two years she had been the strong, powerful creature she was she had dominated many individuals. There were a variety of species for her to choose from, and in the end she chose a human. It was fitting she thought that this wretched Commander Shepard meet her end at another human's hands.

She instructed her subject to travel to Earth and that on her journey to Earth learn as much as she could about the Commander Shepard. The research her other subjects had done for her indicated that the human Shepard had been hospitalized for she was injured. This was where the subject would start, at the medical facilities around Earth. There were other problems however, Earth was a large planet and had many locations. The subject must find out what place the human Shepard was being held at. As it turned out this wasn't hard to find out, since this Shepard person seemed to generate a lot of media, and one of these media sources had let it slip that she was being kept in London. The exact whereabouts in London were up to the subject to find.

Her subject began her journey with the promise of success. She had faith in her subject, for before the Mistress had dominated the subject, she was in what many of the species referred to as the Alliance. A useless government body, her brothers and sisters had often whispered in her head before their death. While it may have been useless, it made her subject even better suited for the job. She was human and wouldn't be looked at twice for being on Earth and she was formerly in the Alliance and therefore was trained in the art of combat and deception.

When the Mistresses subject arrived on Earth she was aware of it, plumbed into her follower's brain like a hacker tapped into a computer. She saw and knew everything the subject did; it was perfect. When the moment had come for the subject to spring, to kill the treacherous human, she did so with perfect timing. Her follower had the element of surprise, but the Shepard human had fought back and despite whatever injuries the human had sustained, was able to fight well enough to throw the subject off balance.

Finally the subject had the Shepard human in her clutches, the human was about to die…and then everything changed. Miles and miles away, in a completely different nebula, the Mistress had been watching through the subject's eyes and had felt the life seeping out of the human, but also felt something else, something _familiar. _It was as if she were in the room with the Shepard human, not her follower; she felt as if she could see Shepard with her own eyes and it was in that moment that she got the sense of familiarity. _Something _was different about this human.

Her blackened, mutated heart thumped in excitement at the familiarity that she sensed there. She could _feel _the presence of the Creator there living and breathing within the human and while the _presence_ was there, His _influence _was not. This was unexpected and as a result the Mistress took hold of her followers mind and influenced her to stop attacking the human.

The human had a touch of the Creator in her, and while the human was clearly human, that power and energy could be tapped into. At this thought great excitement ran through the Mistress. She knew she needed to communicate with the Shepard human to stress the importance of the human seeking her out, _joining _her.

Speaking through the subject the Mistress commanded, "Join us, Shepard; come with us, you _belong _with us." To her great disappointment the human just looked horrified and seemed to move farther away from her subject. She didn't understand this; the follower had stopped attacking and was now being friendly, what was the human so averted to?

"Join us. Be one with us," the Mistress coaxed via the followers body.

"No!" The human screamed. The Mistress felt herself bristle. Humans were so stupid. They were incapable of seeing the potential for greatness, even if it stood right in front of them.

Suddenly she felt her control over the subject waver as the subjects mind flooded with pain and fear. The subject had been shot; someone was intervening, this enraged the Mistress further. She couldn't let this opportunity slip away; if it did she would have to go to great lengths to procure the human. Using more of her influence, she compelled her follower to forget the injury and move forward.

"Do not resist us," the subject murmured for the Mistress.

While she hoped that this would come across as comforting she was wrong as the human before her angrily whispered, "I killed you, you motherfucker."

Confusion hit the Mistress then. Who did the human think she was talking to? The human could have no way of knowing what or where she was. Then a thought struck her; this human thought that she had destroyed all Reapers, yet perhaps the Shepard human thought there was something Reaper like about the Mistress's subject. The Mistress supposed that it wasn't impossible the human thought she was facing some form of the Creator. She knew she must right that thought. The human had opposed the Father and if the Shepard human thought she was the Creator the human would oppose her as well. The human could not oppose her, because if the human was capable of what the Mistress thought she was capable of then great potential for new power existed.

Knowing that her time was limited she influenced her subject to say one last thing.

"_I am not the Creator_."

The Mistress felt her followers mind grow panicked as something large crashed into the follower. The world the subject had seen suddenly shifted dramatically and then went black and the Mistresses connection to the follower was severed. The subject was dead.

Although frustrated, she knew she had made a discovery in her attempt to destroy her Father's killer. While she had failed in her attempt to kill the human an important opportunity had made itself known. Perhaps _this_ was the reason the Creator had called out the human female's name before He had died. The potential for new power, power potentially greater than that of the Creator, made her excited. She needed to plan, and to influence more people, people that would not so obviously be seen as under the influence of someone else.

The tides were changing once again, and this time in her favor.


	7. Chapter 7 I'll Meet You at the Bar

**A/N: **Chapter 7! Whoo hoo! So the middle/end of this chapter is my favorite part. It's mostly comedy and once again I struggled with the beginning of this one...took a while to get the creative juices in motion. So just stick with it until you get to the middle/end and you'll get what I mean. I enjoyed writing the end especially. I really do need to stop posting these so late, it's bad for my sleep/wake cycles and it's doing terrible things for the bags under my eyes. But I can't blame staying up late solely on writing tonight, I spent a good chunk of my time watching Labyrinth with the oh so sexy David Bowie. He's sexy in that movie, I don't know what it is about him, but damn I just want to stare at him all night in that movie. Well enjoy reading, thank you for the reviews so far!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, all characters belong to Bioware.

* * *

Seven: I'll Meet You at the Bar

During the first few days of Shepard's discharge, she had struggled to come up with what kind of relief effort she would be best suited to work with. There was great need for help in the medical tents, caring for the wounded or aiding in the grave digging for the dead, but Shepard wasn't a medic, and while she knew enough about medicine to get by, she wasn't necessarily primed for that kind of work. Eventually she decided to put her efforts in relief work that focused on repairing damaged ships or buildings. While she wasn't a technical genius, repairing ships was something she could manage. Commanding the Normandy and serving in the Alliance and being part of N7 had given her enough training to be more than proficient at general repair.

Garrus had spent a large amount of his time coordinating recovery efforts for Palaven. He would be away for most of the day, engaged in heavy discussions on what measures should be taken to restore Palaven. While this took up a great deal of his time sometimes he'd find time to help Shepard when she was working on a ship or general repairs. He seemed to like that kind of work.

On the first day Shepard had arrived on the Normandy, her temporary 'living quarters', she had simply rested in her cabin with Garrus only to have the primary crew of the Normandy stop by a short time later. She was surprised to see everyone; even Javik and James were present. Javik had murmured a few cryptic sentences about destroying the Reapers only being the beginning and then had largely disappeared into the background. Shepard got the feeling that he didn't quite know what to do since the Reapers were now officially destroyed.

James had managed to get out of the medical facility to see Shepard as well. He didn't look the greatest when she saw him; his whole body looked bruised, and his temple where he'd obviously received the concussion was heavily scabbed over and bruised. He'd limped into the Normandy in a full leg cast, much more awkward than the one Shepard had briefly worn. Except for his poor condition physically, he otherwise seemed cheery and his usual self.

Tali had arrived with Liara and had been very pleased and relieved to see Shepard. She'd explained how things were going well on Rannoch, and that many of the quarians were adjusting well to life with the geth. Tali expressed her hope for reacclimatizing to the environment of Rannoch, and that one day they might perhaps be able to be free of their suits on their homeworld.

While Liara had been present, once again she had been largely evasive towards Shepard. She actively seemed to engage everyone else in conversation, including Javik, although he seemed annoyed to have her speak to him. Liara's continued aversion confused Shepard as she thought they had worked out her evasion in the medical facility only a few days before. When Shepard did get to talk to Liara she'd spoken mostly about Thessia and that she was going to be heading there soon.

Joker and EDI were together, as expected. Joker had made sure to tell both Shepard and Garrus that he and EDI would indeed be staying on the ship as well. He had teased about Shepard and Garrus needing to keep the 'bedroom' activities to a minimal since EDI would frequently inform him what exactly other crew members were doing. Both Garrus and Shepard had shifted awkwardly at that statement.

When Shepard had run into Kaiden he had been friendly enough, but once again Shepard felt that there was some underlying emotion that he was feeling and not expressing. While that was preferable at times, she knew that eventually Kaiden would have to spill his guts; he always did.

Shepard's reunion had been pleasant and she'd been happy to see everyone again. She was told that Cortez wasn't currently staying on the Normandy, but would probably drop by sometime soon. That made her happy since she hoped he had fared well since the last time they had seen each other.

In total, five days had passed since Shepard's discharge from the medical facility and reunion with her crew. She had been been continually working on repairing important buildings and ships in that time. While some would consider it a menial task, Shepard knew that it was a very necessary part of restoring Earth to a more functional status.

Currently she was inside a factory building that had received major damage during the last fight, and desperately needed repair as some of its electrical work served to power a generator that gave power to a major chunk of the city. She'd spent most of her time working there, and with Tali's help who'd kindly volunteered, the two had put in countless hours on the factories wiring and the generator itself. While the electrical configuring and generator still required a large degree of repair, both Tali and Shepard had managed to get a good chunk of it done.

"I never thought I would be using my technical expertise to try to repair this buildings ancient wiring system," Tali remarked form nearby as she fiddled with different colored wires. She was standing next to an open power relay working on reconnecting new cables and scrapping destroyed ones.

"While I can't say I ever thought I'd be doing this, I'm not really surprised," Shepard replied from above Tali, working on pinning down and securing some of the wiring. Shepard had been working on burned out cables that extended from Tali's position and up the wall and out a tiny hole in the wall and into the generator. While Tali worked on repair of the cables on the ground, Shepard did the work up top. As soon as both the bottom wires and top wires were replaced or repaired then they would be reactivated and a grid of the generator would return to a functional status.

"That fact alone surprises me, Shepard," Tali responded pausing in her work to glance up at Shepard.

"What's so surprising about it? When the ship is damaged I get out and help repair it. I figured this was the most well suited form of relief effort I could provide. Besides I'd rather be _doing something _than nothing," Shepard replied as she reconnected one of her last wires.

The two worked for a while longer before Tali exclaimed, "Oh! I've done it. All parts are reconnected on my end! All that's left is for you to finish up where you are and then we can power the system on." While Shepard couldn't see Tali's face through her protective mask, she felt certain that she would be smiling, obviously pleased with her work.

"Almost done, Tali," Shepard replied and patched up one wire and replaced another.

Moments later she reconnected her last wire and was pleased to see that her work was now finished. Smiling she slid down the ladder she'd been sitting on top of, and stood next to Tali. Tali's enviro-suit was stained with grime and debris from the factory as was Shepard's own clothing. Unlike Tali however, Shepard had dirt and a few oil slicks across her hands, fingers and even one of her cheeks. Both of them looked as if they'd been trolling through a junkyard for spare parts and had gotten filthy in the process.

"Ready to fire it up?" Shepard asked eagerly.

Tali nodded and turned to the power relay. She slipped the metal cover back onto it and then faced the control console. After a few moments of Tali entering command codes and encrypting security codes she powered the system on. Both Tali and Shepard were delighted when nothing sparked or blew up. They hesitantly peeked out one of the windows that faced the generator in the street and were pleased to see that one of the quadrants had lit up indicating that that portion was now fully powered.

"Well it's about time we got something to work on that little bosh'tet! Too bad we have a lot more work to do on it," Tali said; Shepard could hear the smile in her voice.

"Had forgotten about that little fact," Shepard said rubbing her temples, not looking forward to doing more work on the damn generator. She glanced out at the sun and was glad to see it sinking, meaning that her ten or so hours she'd put in were done. "Well I guess we'll call it a night for today…the generator can wait until tomorrow. Maybe I can rope Garrus into helping us."

Tali snorted. "I doubt that Shepard, he only likes assisting if it involves gun repair or calibrating."

Shepard nodded, smiling to herself. She began to walk over to the little pile of personal items she and Tali had brought with them to the damaged building. As she picked up her water canteen to have a drink she suddenly remembered that she was meeting Garrus at a makeshift bar someone had gotten up and running only a few days ago.

"I'm meeting Garrus right after this at that freshly put together bar a few blocks from here. It's the one in that kind of seedy looking, back alley building…you know, the one that everyone keeps saying was a really whore house before the Reapers attacked," Shepard explained enthusiastically.

"Oh, yes I heard Joker mention something about it. I think he said that it wasn't worth the money for how bad the drinks were," Tali replied, also gathering her things.

Nodding, Shepard replied, "Yeah, they probably aren't any good, but at times like these I think any drink will do. People need to cut a little loose at the end of the day. But did you want to join us?"

"Oh thank you for the offer Shepard, but I'm actually meeting my old friend Kal'reegar tonight to discuss a future project we're coming up with for Rannoch," Tali replied casually.

"Kal'reegar…is there something I should know about Tali?" Shepard teased.

"No, it's nothing…we're just friends and it _is _a business meeting," Tali reassured nervously.

"Okay Tali. Just remember that if you get bored, that we'll be at the bar and we'll be there for probably quite a while," Shepard replied laughing.

Together the two walked out of the factory and into the evening.

* * *

Somehow the sleazy little human that had created the bar, had scraped up enough materials to actually make it semi decent. While it wasn't Purgatory on the Citadel or Afterlife on Omega, it was London's own little haven where you could drown your sorrows or dance the night away. The man who had created it, a diminutive man named Harold Kuam, called it Heaven's Gate, and while it was far from what the gate of Heaven probably looked like, it wasn't a bad place.

The building, while rumored to have once been a brothel, was in fact a strip club and therefore had a fully equipped bar. Because it had once been a strip club it served quite well in its current function as the only operating bar in London.

There were a variety of drinks, although most of the drinks were of cheap origin and not very good, but alcohol nonetheless. While the majority of the drinks were levo based, Harold Kuam had managed to get ahold of turian liquor as well, so the bar was friendly to dextro based species as well. It didn't quite have the atmosphere that a lot of other bars had, but it had typical swarthy, sleazy bar music and even had a few dancers. Apparently the ship that had docked with Earth recently had been carrying some asari dancers, since the limited numbers of dancers were strictly asari. The lighting was dim and it seemed like someone's idea of 'mood lighting' was a multi colored strobe light. Other than the strobe light though, it wasn't bad considering that only a short time before the world had been ending.

Shepard and Garrus were currently seated at a little table near the bar watching several humans and asari bump and grind on the dance floor. The two had been at Heaven's Gate for a little over an hour. Garrus had had two shots of turian whiskey and was currently drinking some kind of fruity turian ale. Shepard on the other hand had downed three vodka shots and was now working on a gin and tonic. Garrus remained quite sober, but Shepard was pushing tipsy.

"Garrus, why don't you and I ever dance together? I mean, we've been to lots of places like this, and we've never danced before," Shepard remarked and took a sip of her gin and tonic.

Garrus gave Shepard an 'are you serious?' look and replied, "Well Shepard, remember I said I'd seen you dance? Well that's probably why we don't dance together." While he wasn't obviously laughing Shepard could clearly see the mischievous glint in his eyes.

Shepard put her glass aside and leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table. She eyed Garrus with mock seriousness. Garrus crossed his arms and looked skeptically at her.

"What are you trying to say, Garrus? That I'm a bad dancer?" Shepard asked in a serious tone, but her expression was anything but.

"Well I don't know if I would put it that way. I just might suggest that you stick to what you're good at…which may or may not be dancing," Garrus teased and leaned forward towards Shepard, staring her down.

"I think I dance just fine," Shepard replied, breaking eye contact to take a sip of her drink.

"Right. Okay, whatever you say, darling. Let's just not go public with that statement, and make sure no one has a camera when you do decide to reveal your moves," Garrus said leaning back into his chair with a smirk across his face.

"Why Garrus, if you think my dancing is so terrible, then let's see yours," Shepard challenged with a sly little grin.

Garrus sat up, took a gulp of his drink and was about to rise to accept Shepard's challenge when suddenly Kaiden stepped in his way. Garrus stopped mid motion and stared at Kaiden and Shepard, still sitting in her chair, looked at Kaiden with a frown. She had been so close to getting Garrus to tear it up on the dance floor!

"Hey Shepard, Garrus," Kaiden said looking at Shepard and then hesitantly nodding toward Garrus.

"Kaiden," Garrus nodded back, and moved back to sitting in his chair.

"Hi Kaiden…what can I do for you?" Shepard asked a light smile on her face.

"Well Shepard I wanted to talk you, about, well about this," Kaiden gestured to the alcoholic beverage in front of her and then around the room. "Do you really think you should be drinking when just a short while ago you were on deaths door? And in a place like this?"

"I wouldn't necessarily describe it as death's door," Garrus muttered under his breath. Kaiden shot an irritated glance his way.

"Kaiden I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. Garrus and I are just blowing off a little steam," she shot Garrus a knowing, sly look, "…and we're in a controlled, safe environment. Nothing to worry about at all." Shepard gave Kaiden a confident smile.

"I get cutting loose Shepard, but maybe now isn't the time. I mean, is alcohol really a good idea? Alcohol isn't known for creating _safe _environment," Kaiden shot back, crossing his arms.

Shepard was growing irritated with Kaiden's line of questioning. "Do you remember I brought _you _an alcoholic beverage while you were in the hospital? As I recall you didn't bat an eye about that, and _you _were in much worse shape than I currently am!" Shepard reminded him no longer attempting to hide her annoyance with Kaiden.

"You brought him booze while he was sick in the hospital?" Garrus asked, surprised.

"Didn't I—" Shepard began only to be cut off by Kaiden.

"That's changing the subject, Shepard. That was a different situation. I was _not _on death's door and hadn't really been all that close to begin with," Kaiden stated trying to recover his side of the argument.

"Actually you were on death's door Kaiden. That Cerberus agent nearly killed you and you weren't in the greatest of shape when I met you at the Citadel's hospital. I've been cleared by the doctor. He _never _prohibited me from partaking in alcohol. As long as I don't use my biotics or engage in _strenuous activity_ I'm good to go," Shepard retorted with a frown.

Kaiden was silent for a moment, obviously trying to gain ground in his argument. It was at this moment that Garrus chimed in.

"I didn't know you brought Kaiden alcohol at the Citadel. Something I should know about?" Garrus asked, and Shepard couldn't tell if he was teasing or being serious.

"I guess it slipped my mind to mention it to you and there's nothing to know about! I dropped off the liquor, checked in on him, and was on my way; that's it." Shepard responded, hoping that Garrus was just teasing.

"It's okay Shepard. Don't break out in a sweat, I'm just teasing," Garrus laughed from across the table.

"Garrus—" Shepard began only to be interrupted.

"Shepard being in a place like this and drinking leads to _strenuous activity_! And if the doctor forbade you from being involved in, ah, those kind of activities you should avoid situations that set you up for trouble!" Kaiden stated obviously flustered. Shepard was about to say something in response when Garrus spoke up.

"Kaiden why don't you just sit down and join us for a drink? That way you can watch and make sure that Shepard doesn't do anything dangerous. Hell, maybe you'll even enjoy yourself." Garrus suggested coyly.

Kaiden stared at him for a moment and then cautiously said, "Okay Garrus; that's not a bad idea." He then grabbed a nearby chair and sat down at the table with Garrus and Shepard.

"I'll even buy you a drink," Garrus said and rose from the table. Shepard watched Garrus rise and leave and felt herself envious at his departure. Kaiden was sure to delve into some sort of conversation that didn't make much sense and continue chastising her for partaking in a drink.

"So, Shepard…how are things?" Kaiden asked casually.

"They're good Kaiden. I'm working with Tali at repairing the Main Street generator; slow going, but we're getting there," Shepard responded, leaning back and putting her hands in her lap.

"Good…I've been keeping busy too. I've been working with a relief group that works on locating people missing in action. It's a lot of looking for people who are probably dead, but it's for a good cause," Kaiden stated.

"I'm sure the families you're helping are extremely greatful, Kaiden," Shepard stated honestly. Garrus returned then and Shepard felt relieved. Garrus always seemed to alleviate any tension in a situation.

"Here Kaiden, I got you a cosmopolitan," Garrus stressed the last part and shot a wink at Shepard who just rolled her eyes.

"Thanks," Kaiden answered and took a drink.

"Well this is a good time…you know if you'd come just a little later Kaiden I think you could've seen the Commander dance," Garrus said playfully. He gave Shepard a sly look.

"Well that's not true exactly—"

"Really? I'm not sure I've ever seen Shepard dance before," Kaiden admitted and glanced carefully at Shepard.

"Trust me, if you had you'd remember it," Garrus teased, still eyeing Shepard.

"Haha, sounds like you've seen her then. Are her dance moves as good as her performance on the battlefield?" Kaiden asked genuinely.

Before Garrus could answer Shepard broke in. "_Actually _it was Garrus you would've seen dance. _He _kept badmouthing my dancing and so I challenged him to prove that he was the better dancer," Shepard remarked with confidence.

"I've seen a few turians dance before…as I recall I was impressed with the rhythm they had," Kaiden stated rubbing his chin as if recalling a memory.

Garrus cocked his head and said, "See, I told you I could dance. All turians can dance."

"Well Garrus get up and show us then," Shepard commanded. Garrus gave her a playful look, but sure enough rose from his chair and proudly strode onto the dance floor.

"This should be interesting," Kaiden said with a curious glance.

"We'll see," Shepard replied and watched as Garrus found a spot he liked on the dance floor.

There were several humans that stood near Garrus although he seemed to take little notice of them. As soon as Garrus seemed to find a spot he liked he burst into action. While some might think that turians wouldn't be able to dance, those individual would be proven wrong. Garrus danced with skill; his body moved fluidly from one move to another. He pumped his fist in the air, stomped his foot to the beat, shook his narrow little hips, and swayed his head all in time with the beat. By the time he was done and had returned to his seat both Kaiden and Shepard were open mouthed in awe.

"See?" Garrus asked simply and took a sip of his ale. He seemed incredibly pleased with himself.

"Well I have to say Garrus I'm impressed," Kaiden admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Okay Garrus, you win. Yes, you can dance. _Far _better than me," Shepard confessed.

"What was that Shepard? I didn't quite hear you. Could you speak a little louder?" Garrus playfully teased. No one could miss the smirk on his face.

"Laugh it up Garrus," Shepard said grinning at Garrus's constant playful nature.

Kaiden decided he needed to add to the conversation. "So how does Shepard dance, Garrus? She's not apparently as good as you, but is she anything like she is on the battlefield?"

Shepard put her head in one of her hands and sighed. This would never end.

"Let's just say the moves she pulls on the battlefield far exceed her dancing skills," Garrus paused briefly and glanced from Kaiden to Shepard, clearly thinking of something naughty. "Her _best _moves however, _aren't _on the battlefield."

Color filled Shepard's cheeks as she realized what Garrus was insinuating. She raised her head from her hand and stared at Garrus with a look of incredulity on her face. He just stared back at her with a growing smirk, his alert gray blue eyes glowing with mischief. Shepard prayed at that moment that Kaiden left it at that and did _not _inquire further.

"What? You've confused me…she's amazing in battle, I couldn't imagine her performing in a more spectacular manner in any other setting," Kaiden said. Shepard dropped her head back into her hands. Why was Kaiden so dense sometimes?

There was a long pause before Garrus responded. When he did his voice was filled with a smug pride. "Well…I thought you would know, but I guess it was a while ago and things were different when you, uh, would've seen her perform the way _I have. _I was referring to her performance in the bedroom."

Shepard was going to kill Garrus.


	8. Chapter 8 Temporary Departure

**A/N: **So sorry for the day break...I like to update everyday, but got caught up with a beading class and other things. Making your own earrings is actually a lot of fun, I suggest everyone try it sometime. Anyway, here's chapter 8. It's mostly a mechanism for me to progress ahead, but I still think it's enjoyable to read. A little bit of fluff later on with Garrus, but trust me it's just a little, like not much. Don't worry though, more romance is to come soon. It'll get heavier, and here's a little heads up, there will be a lemon upcoming! I'll identify which chapter the lemon is in once we get to that chapter. Not this chapter though, but soon. I might put up chapter 9 tonight as well because that one is longer and has much more intrigue, kind of reaveals the direction the story is taking. We'll see. I'm currently writing chapter 11, which will be finished shortly, but if I manage to finish chapter 12 as well then I'll for sure put up chapter 9. Anyway enjoy reading! Thanks for the reviews so far! I love hearing from you guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters created by Bioware; I own nothing, all of that stuff belongs to Bioware.

* * *

Eight: Temporary Departure

"How much longer do you think it'll take us to finish powering the generator?" Tali asked Shepard while the two stood in front of London's Main Street generator examining the glowing grids of power. The majority of the generator was lit up like a Christmas tree save one dim section. This last section had proven the most difficult to repair. The wiring for it was in an electrical panel underground directly in front of the grid and while it was their last section of work it was also the most difficult.

"Well we've powered on every other section of the generator and all we have is this one last piece left…but as you know we're running short on spare cables and most of these ones are fried…I don't know," Shepard replied sighing and wiping her brow. It was getting warm in London and the weather was shifting from spring to early summer.

Tali stooped down in front of the electrical panel and crossed her arms. Shepard watched as the quarian flicked little pebbles away from her. The task of finishing the generator was quickly becoming a lost cause.

"Let's take a break. Maybe when we've had a rest we can find Garrus or EDI or somebody to help us in the repair," Shepard suggested unzipping the jump suit she was wearing, letting it hang around her waist so that her torso was only clad in a sweat stained white tank top. Sinking to the ground, Shepard sat next to Tali. The two looked out over the street.

The trees were starting to leaf out and the birds were beginning to sing. It was later than what was considered normal because of the Reapers recent destruction, but nature was finally getting a hold back on Earth. The relief in general was making progress; those that had been injured were healing or had died and the dire need for medical supplies was getting better because of this. The rubble and debris was slowly finding its way out of the streets and into a more appropriate place. Food was still stretched thin, but with the increasing numbers of species leaving Earth to return to their home the demand was lessening.

"This section needs a good calibration, Garrus's specialty…what's he doing today?" Tali asked turning to Shepard.

Shepard leaned her head back against the generator and remembered her parting from Garrus that morning. She'd left before he'd gotten out of bed. He'd been out late the previous night discussing some issue with the Primarch who was still on Earth but was supposedly returning to Palaven sooner than later. Shepard hadn't had the heart to wake him when she'd risen from bed, he'd been under more stress lately and she wanted to let him sleep. Before she had left her cabin on the Normandy though she had gently placed a kiss on his forehead and a note informing him she'd be working on the generator all day with Tali again.

"I didn't get to talk to him this morning because he was still asleep; he got in late last night and I didn't have the heart to wake him. I'm pretty sure he'll be having some sort of all-day discussion with the Primarch again though," Shepard replied pushing some of the sweaty hair out of her face.

"That was nice of you Shepard. Maybe he'll stop by later to see you, or even better to help us work on this damn generator," Tali remarked with a snort.

Slowly rising from her position against the generator and next to Tali, Shepard stood up and dusted herself off and turned to Tali. "Ready to track down some help?"

"Of course Shepard," Tali replied and also rose.

Just as the two were about to head off the com that Shepard had pinned to her jump suit started to buzz with static and then Joker's voice. Shepard reached down and pulled up the sleeve of her jump suit so that the speaker faced her mouth.

"I read you Joker, what can I do for you?" Shepard asked as she and Tali halted in their tracks.

"Hey Shepard…sorry to interrupt but Liara's over here and she mentioned something to me about wanting to talk to you. Well actually she said she was leaving for Thessia today and then she muttered something about meaning to tell you and then she sort of stormed off like I'd offended her or something…weird…but anyway, I caught wind of _that _bit about meaning to tell you and thought I'd spread the word while she's still here. So yeah, Liara is here and won't be for that long so if you wanted or needed to discuss something with her I recommend you get on over here," Joker explained. Shepard thought she heard EDI murmuring something to Joker in the background. Shepard wondered if it had been EDI who had overheard Liara murmuring things and had been in fact the one to encourage Joker to contact her.

"Thanks Joker, I'm on my way," Shepard answered and dropped her sleeve to hang back around her waist. She faced Tali with a look of apology on her face. "Sorry Tali I think I should get over there to say goodbye to Liara. I think it's important…she's been acting strangely since I've been back. Why don't you just take a break from all of this until I get back?"

"I understand Shepard and I agree with you about Liara, she has been rather odd around you lately. I don't quite understand it myself. I think I'll go get lunch with some of the other quarians and turians and if I run into Garrus I'll try to strong arm him into helping us with the dammed generator," Tali replied with a smile in her voice. She patted Shepard on the shoulder.

"You're a good friend Tali. I'll see you in a bit, and if you do see Garrus tell him I said that my week of avoiding 'activities' is almost up," Shepard said with a naughty grin and then trotted off in the direction of the Normandy.

* * *

As Shepard walked into Liara's old room on the Normandy, she was surprised at how many of Liara's belongings had vanished. Apparently she was indeed planning on leaving. Shepard wasn't even greeted by Glyph who almost always greeted her when she entered into Liara's quarters.

Liara was sitting on her bed, her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms folded across them. She looked like a little child to Shepard at that moment and Shepard felt certain that there was something Liara wasn't telling her, something she was ashamed of or frightened of. While part of her wanted to probe Liara until she gave up whatever thoughts and feelings she was keeping secret another part of her felt certain that if she did press Liara what she found wouldn't please her.

"Liara, Joker told me you're planning on going to Thessia today," Shepard paused and then said with and edge of irritation, "I thought you were going to tell me before you left."

Liara looked up from her hands and at Shepard hesitantly. She gave a timid little smile and murmured softly, "I'm sorry Shepard."

Shepard strode forward to stand at the foot of Liara's bed. She'd had enough of Liara's evasion and nonchalance in attitude. "What is wrong Liara? And more importantly, why won't you tell me? We're friends aren't we? I thought that you of all people would ecstatic that I was still alive. I get that you are concerned about Thessia, but I expected you to act like _you; _you aren't acting like you."

"Shepard I don't know what to say. I need to go to Thessia, you knew that, and I knew that you'd been very busy with the relief on Earth and I didn't want to take you away from that. We haven't seen each other very often I know, and that's my fault, but I've been incredibly busy putting together all the resources I have to help Thessia. My job as the Shadow Broker has aided my ability to gather a great number of resources, but that responsibility also takes up a lot of my time. I've just been busy…that's all," Liara finished. She still remained on the bed with her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms folded across them. Her eyes were downcast.

"Liara," Shepard began and sat on the foot of Liara's bed. "I understand that you're busy and I'm sorry if I had unrealistic expectations…but you are my friend, one of my closest friends, and your distance worries me. I'm concerned about you…that's all."

Finally Liara met Shepard's eyes. While there was a firmness and strength in them there was also great vulnerability there.

"Thank you Shepard, but rest assured that I'm alright. In truth I've just been very busy and I guess still a little in shock at your being alright. If I've been distant it's probably because I just recently got into contact with Feron and learned that he was alright. I was very concerned about him, I hadn't heard from him in quite a while, but now I know he's okay. He'll be meeting me on Thessia," Liara answered with a small smile on her heart shaped lips.

"Okay," Shepard said and patted Liara's knee. She gave a little smile of her own, although it didn't meet her eyes. While the explanation seemed to fit, Shepard couldn't help but feel as if there was _something _else that Liara wasn't revealing.

"I should get the rest of my things ready. Thanks for stopping by Shepard," Liara said with a sigh and looked back down to her knees.

Shepard slowly rose and headed for the door but stopped and turned back around to face Liara. "When are you coming back? Because once is all said and done here on Earth, the Normandy could use you."

"I'll be back in about three months I think. Maybe a little less, but there's a lot to do on Thessia…and when the Normandy needs me I'll be ready. That is, if you still want me to serve on her," the last part of what Liara said was murmured in barely a whisper and Shepard had to strain to hear her. Once she was certain she had actually heard what Liara had said she just stared. Why would Liara even say that? Liara knew she was always welcome!

"Liara you are _always _welcome on the Normandy _if _you want to be there. Remember that." With that Shepard turned and left Liara sitting on her bed.

Once Shepard was out the door, Liara looked after her, a glimmer of shame in her eyes. She quietly whispered, "Things change Shepard."

* * *

By the time Shepard got back to the generator, what had been the afternoon was pushing early evening. Shepard honestly didn't know where the time had gone. With the afternoon fading however, the heat was also starting to fade, but things were still warm. Shepard's jump suit, which was very reminiscent to one of those characteristic mechanic one piece jump suits, was still unzipped to her waist so that her top half was only clad in her dingy tank top.

As Shepard came in view of the generator she was surprised to see not only Tali working on it but Garrus as well. Tali was working on the electrical panel and wiring that she and Shepard had been working on previously, while Garrus appeared to be fiddling, or rather calibrating, the actual generator.

"See Tali, all it takes are a few calibrations here and there and the wiring goes in without any problem. The generator will be completely operational before this day is done," Garrus boasted from his position at the generator.

"Right, Garrus. Things just magically went together because you are here. The only reason Shepard and I had so much difficulty wasn't because the wiring was defective, but because we weren't _calibrating _the generator," Tali replied snidely.

Shepard smiled at the twos banter with each other. She walked forward and said, "So the generator will be done before the day is done? Well that is a huge bright spot in my day!" Garrus and Tali stopped their work and turned toward Shepard.

"Good to see you, Shepard…and yes, thanks to _my _technical expertise this generator you've been working on so much will be done very shortly," Garrus replied with a wink.

"I keep telling him that it has more to do with the work you and I put in and less to do with whatever calibrations he's done," Tali said and glanced back at Garrus with what Shepard felt certain was an annoyed look.

"Well if the generator is almost done then I don't care if it was Garrus's ability to calibrate itor magical fairies that flew out of his armor to fix it, I'm just glad it'll be done!" Shepard said with a smile. She gave Tali a pat on the shoulder as she finally got close to the two and Garrus a quick peck on the cheek.

"How did everything go with Liara?" Tali asked a hint of concern in her voice.

"Things went alright. She's heading to Thessia today, might already be on a ship now. I guess she's been busy with putting together a lot of resources. Feron's meeting her on Thessia, or so she told me," Shepard replied distantly. She wasn't sure how much of what she said she believed was true.

"Well I'm sure it'll be good for her to get back home. They could probably use her on Thessia. It was hit pretty hard," Tali remarked.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Maybe she's just having a mood swing. Joker was telling me that human females and asari are prone to mood swings," Garrus stated. Shepard looked at him and laughed.

"Okay Dr. Vakarian," Shepard laughed.

"Well it was a thought…hey Shepard, I need to talk to you, got a minute? I'm sure Tali will be able to handle the generator on her own for a bit," Garrus asked Shepard eagerly. Shepard hoped that whatever they were going to discuss had something to do with her week of avoiding strenuous exercise being nearly over.

"No problem Garrus," Shepard answered. The two then left Tali to continue working on the generator. They headed a few feet away from the generator and were mostly out of earshot of Tali, not that anything they were going to talk about would need concealing.

"So what's on your mind?" Shepard asked with a smile.

"I'm going to Palaven with the Primarch. Tonight," Garrus replied slowly. He waited for her response, but Shepard was quiet for several moments before found the words she wanted.

"For how long?" She asked keeping her voice level.

"A week. They need me over there to help coordinate some search and rescue missions. We've got a lot of missing people and the Primarch wants me to head these operations. Nothing dangerous, just checking out rubble and crashed ships mostly. Plus my dad and sister are back on Palaven…it'd be good if I saw them again," Garrus answered. His gray blue eyes were staring at Shepard, trying to gauge her reaction. He wasn't sure how his departure would affect her; he knew she needed him, but didn't know to what degree that need was.

"Okay," Shepard began and then paused and returned Garrus's gaze. His eyes were concerned and worried, but she knew he needed to do this; he needed to return to his family. "I get it, I really do. They need you; it's your home and they're your family…I understand and I support you. I know you'll come back to me and that's all that matters." She smiled up at him.

Garrus's nose twitched, his cheeks pinching upwards, and his mandibles flaring; his version of a smile. "Of course I'll be back. I'd honestly rather stay here with you; but Palaven, my family, the Primarch, they all need me right now. Although, I'll admit that leaving is going to extremely difficult since you had Tali remind me that your week of being _good _ends very shortly." Garrus took Shepard in his arms and Shepard rested her head against his armored shoulder. She wondered if when this was all over he'd stop wearing his armor constantly and instead wear the casual turian apparel. The armor was so characteristic of him though, but either way she'd love him; he'd just be softer to touch without the armor.

"Well you'll have something special to come back home too…and I'll have something really nice to look forward to," Shepard whispered softly.

"Oh it'll be a night to remember, of that I'm sure," Garrus replied with a soft laugh.

Shepard pulled away then and looked up at Garrus with a semiserious face. "By the way, in the future when we are out with Kaiden, or anyone for that matter, you are _not _allowed to discuss my performance in the bedroom versus my performance on the battlefield…or anywhere for that matter."

Garrus chuckled. "Okay, I'll try for you, but don't be surprised if it happens again…sometimes I just can't resist. And let's be honest, Kaiden was _asking _for it!"

"I guess he was," Shepard replied with a smirk.

Together the two headed back to the generator to finish powering it up.

* * *

Later in the evening Shepard had seen Garrus off onto the ship that would take Garus, the Primarch and several other turians to Palaven. He'd hugged and kissed her and while a few of the other turians stared oddly at the turian human pair, the Primarch didn't bat an eye at it. Shepard thought this was probably because the Primarch held Shepard in high regard.

Even though Shepard held high esteem in all turians eyes, all species for that matter (with the exception of any remaining batarians), her relationship with Garrus still warranted a little bit of adde interest. Shepard would often catch other humans staring at the two when they'd arrive somewhere together. When she held hands with Garrus in public or they shared a kiss the stares were a bit more numerous as it became obvious that others were quite interested in the unusual pairing. While Shepard was looked at as more of a celebrity than say Garrus, the turian human pairing and Shepard's celebrity status made them a high profile couple.

Shepard had been sad to see Garrus leave her but knew that he'd come back in a week and when he did they would both have a very happy reunion.


	9. Chapter 9 Rumor on the Wind

**A/N: **So two chapters for everyone today! Woot! Well I did finish chapters 11 and 12 tonight so I decided to give the treat of a second chapter today. No lemon here though, sorry if you were expecting it. It's still coming up. This chapter is longer and provides a little more intrigue so hopefully everyone will enjoy reading it! At least I'm not up that late tonight working on these things, it's only 1am after all, hahaha! Not late by my standards! That's sad...oh and on a side note, did anyone else think those Keepers on the last level of ME3 before you confront the Illusive Man were like creepy? I remember getting to that part and thinking, wow, that's creepy; a bunch of dead bodies and Keepers staring at me. Weird. Anyway...enjoy reading! I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware.

* * *

Nine: Rumor on the Wind

Shepard sat in a hard bottom swivel chair that overlooked a less destroyed portion of London. Outside there were people clearing an area that the monument of Anderson was supposed to go up. Apparently Earth was doing well enough to start putting resources for making monuments. While Shepard thought it was important to make a monument to Anderson she didn't necessarily think now was the time; not when there was still a lot to be done and not nearly enough supplies.

In front of her, with a desk separating them, sat Admiral Hackett. He looked the same as he had over a week ago when she'd spoken to him on her computer. It had been three days since Garrus had left her and in that time Hackett had arrived to finally start directing things on Earth in person. Shepard missed Garrus's company; missed seeing him in the morning when she awoke or when the two would go to bed together. Now she was alone and had to wait at least four more days before he would return to her.

"Have you heard from Garrus since he's been on Palaven? Or Liara on Thessia?" Hackett inquired while looking through some papers that were scattered across the scuffed desk he was currently using as his own.

Hackett had been assigned to work out of an office building that had been mostly spared damage during the Reaper fights. With the exception of the window that overlooked the soon to be Anderson monument that was cracked, the office was in fairly good repair. The desk was scuffed and old, but standing and in working order. While the chairs were uncomfortable, they still carried out their function. Shepard personally didn't care for the office since it reminded her of her school days as a child when she'd been forced to sit in hard, uncomfortable chairs and listen to boring teachers prattle on about subjects she never thought she'd master. Those memories made her think of her slaughtered parents on her old colony home, which were never good memories to begin with.

"He sent me a message as soon as he arrived on Palaven and told me that he was glad to be home but disturbed at the obvious devastation that Palaven's received. He's currently doing search and rescue assignments for the Primarch, but he'll be back in a few days," Shepard replied while still gazing out the window. Garrus's message had been short but clear; he was on Palaven and while search and rescue was his primary assignment he was intending to aide Palaven in any other way he could. Apparently the devastation was right on par with Earth's damage.

"And Liara, how's she doing? Heard that she took off around the same time as Vakarian…don't particularly blame her, I'd want to get back home if I were her too," Hacket asked eyeing Shepard closely. Shepard drew her attention from the window to Hackett. It was unusual of him to ask these kind of questions.

"As far as I know she's fine…I never received a message from her directly, just one from Fer—err an associate of hers. I was simply told that she had arrived on Thessia safely and would be staying there for an extended period of time," Shepard replied cautiously, conscious of her near slip in revealing Feron's name. It was probably better that Liara's contacts and potential relationship endeavors remain anonymous.

"That's good to hear," Hackett remarked cheerfully.

"Excuse me for asking Sir, but why are you asking me personal questions? You aren't one to question my personal life," Shepard asked hesitantly. She watched Hackett carefully for some kind of odd behavior.

When he'd sent her word that he was in fact on Earth and would like to see her she hadn't thought twice about it. The message seemed in context for Hackett and when she'd arrived she thought things seemed normal. However, as they had progressed into conversation she had noticed little things about him that made her wonder if he knew something she didn't or was planning something she wasn't going to like. His disposition had put her on edge.

"I'm just curious to see how you're coping, Shepard. I mean, if you hadn't noticed you're a bit of a celebrity now, well that's actually putting it mildly. People, everyone, the whole damn galaxy for that matter, _knows _who _you _are and what you did for them. I'm just curious to see how you are doing with that kind of attention," Hackett replied coolly. Shepard nodded, only partially believing him.

Shrugging her shoulders, Shepard said, "I'm coping fine. It isn't like random people I don't know walk up to me and ask for my autograph. My name may be known but my face isn't."

"Well it's not hard to match the face to the name. All it takes is one extranet search and face and name are one in the same. You may not be getting public recognition now, but I'm certain you will be later," Hackett explained with confidence.

"Fair enough…now what else would you like to talk about?" Shepard asked, changing the subject.

Hackett eyed Shepard carefully before responding. After a moment he spoke. "The Citadel is repairable; believe it or not, we've had a few teams up there working on putting things back to the way it was. Not going to be an easy job by any means, but it's one I think we need to do. I'd like to get your help and anyone you could recruit in joining some of my cleanup crews on the Citadel."

Shepard stared at Hackett for a few minutes not comprehending what he had just said. He wanted to restore the Citadel? Was he mad? As far as she was concerned the Citadel couldn't ever be restored. After what she had seen and been through up there she wasn't sure she wanted it to be salvaged. There had been bodies everywhere, not to mention the still alive Keepers adding the level of eeriness she had felt up there. Large portions had been ruined or destroyed when she'd had her battle with the former god child. Would the council even _want _to go back there? And did C-Sec even exist anymore or had everyone she'd known in C-Sec died with the Citadel being turned against them thanks to the Illusive Man?

"Are you sure that's a good idea Sir? The Citadel was in a bad way the last time I was up there, and I think it was in a worse way when I was rescued. Can you even salvage it? Can it _ever _be what it was?" Shepard asked, arching her eyebrows.

"I don't know if it'll ever be what it was, Shepard. All I know is that the Alliance and the Council has discussed this issue and we believe that we need to put in some kind of effort to restore it. Restoring the Citadel will be very difficult, yes, but if we manage it it'll take on the image of hope for the galaxy. The Reapers took the Citadel from us and used it against us, we've destroyed the Reapers and now just to right all their wrongs we can restore the Citadel back to what it was…that's the Alliance's feeling anyway. If we restore the Citadel it'll give hope to everyone in the galaxy as a symbol of a galaxy united rising from the ashes," Hackett explained. Although he explained himself with confidence, Shepard felt that he lacked belief in this argument. The idea of salvaging the Citadel to symbolize success or hope was silly in Shepard's opinion.

"Well if that is where the Alliance thinks I will do my best work then I will work on the Citadel. I'll try to put a crew together to help me," Shepard stated.

"That's good news. I know that it may be hard for you to go back there, but just remember you have friends and that we're here for you. Take your time when you're up there," Hackett said with a smile. While Shepard appreciated the gesture, she felt that it was a fairly pointless one. Hackett knew that no matter how much time she _took _it would still be difficult. Returning to the location you're almost murdered wouldn't be easy for anyone.

"Is that all Admiral?" Shepard asked casually, feeling eager to leave the office and the stiff chair.

"Actually it isn't…I've got some news that may be related to your would be assassin. I don't think you're going to like it," Hackett admitted, looking down. Now she knew why he'd been acting strangely—he had news that would potentially cause her great stress.

"Okay…what's the news?" Shepard asked slowly, prepping for anything. She leaned forward in her chair, making it squeak under her weight; she wanted to hear everything he had to tell her.

"After your assassination attempt I put in orders to have the body processed. It took a little while longer than I wanted, but that's expected with everything that we're going through right now, but I got a hit on the body. The body was that of a former Alliance soldier, a woman by the name of Kia Sulei," Hackett explained.

"An Alliance soldier? Was she still considered active or had she been declared dead ?" Shepard asked, confused.

"She was listed as MIA over a year ago. She'd been on a mission to investigate abductions on one of the mining colonies of the Nubian Expanse System. She was considered special ops, and was frequently in deep cover and therefore didn't update the Alliance for months at a time. It was sometime shortly after she was assigned to the mission that she went missing…where she was or what she was doing, I have no idea," Hackett said in a very concerned voice.

Shepard watched him carefully, while also trying to hide her own nervousness. This woman had been former Alliance and had gone missing and then mysteriously shown up over a year later to try to kill Shepard. Shepard didn't like the idea of a formerly missing woman turning up in her bedroom a year later attempting to murder her, especially if her last mission was investigating abductions. Investigating abductions never seemed to lead to anything good.

"Did the Alliance know anything more about her mission?" Shepard asked trying to keep her voice calm.

"When I accessed the file I was surprised to find very little there. I've sent the file to your private terminal on the Normandy. I suggest you take a look at it when you have time, although you won't find much there…I suppose you could find more using your Spectre status, but since the requisitions office is currently out of commission that's kind of out of the question," Hackett replied in a diminished voice. Obviously he had done some digging of his own only to come up with little or no results.

"Was an autopsy performed on the body?" Shepard asked believing in the likely hood that the woman, Kia Sulei, had had Reaper tech in her body.

"No; there was no need and not nearly enough supplies for one…but I did go out of my way to send one of my own operatives out to the Nubian Expanse System to investigate her trail. Apparently the Alliance never launched an investigation into her disappearance; I guess they had bigger fish to fry at the time," Hackett added leaning back in his chair.

"You sent an operative? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Shepard questioned feeling concerned for the Alliance operative.

Hackett waved his hand in the air. "I highly doubt my agent will find anything Shepard. The woman disappeared over a year ago and no one even knew _which _system it was exactly or _what _mining colony it was. I've been told there are dozens out there in that particular System. I guess it was her job to find out what nebula, which planet and which colony it was. My agent is a good soldier don't get me wrong, but the case is cold, I doubt she'll find anything."

Shepard slowly nodded, wondering if that was true. Apparently Kia Sulei's mission had been vague, but things sometimes got that way when an individual got into deep cover within the Alliance military.

"Was there any information on who was being abducted or the manner in which they were abducted?" Shepard asked. She was thinking that if she could find out those details she might be able to piece together who had grabbed Kia Sulei and eventually sent her Shepard's way.

"It's all in the file, but in regards to that question you just asked, no there wasn't much. Just a report from some local authority that had some validity within the Alliance, anyway I guess this authority figure said that several of the individuals from the mining colony had been abducted. It lists nothing about whom in particular or how they disappeared," Hackett stated with a sigh.

"Alright Sir…I'll check out the file. Thank you for letting me know and I'll try to get to the Citadel as soon as I can," Shepard responded and stood up, eager now to leave and access the file about Kia Sulei.

"Not a problem Shepard…oh and I have you scheduled to get up to the Citadel today. I know it's soon but I'd like you up there ASAP. I've gotten ahold of your old pilot Cortez to fly you on up," Hackett informed Shepard.

Although Shepard wasn't happy about being assigned to go to the Citadel, let alone today she nodded and exited. There was a terminal where one could access their personal messages outside of Hackett's office. Since the power had been restored on the Main Street Generator the terminal was likely running.

Shepard walked up to the terminal, entered an encryption code and then accessed her account. She found the message that Hackett had sent her with the file on Kia Sulei in it. There were four files in total on Sulei; Shepard opened up the first one labeled Request for Assistance.

**Request for Assistance:**

**Chief Patrol Jariad Mari**

** Dear Vera Swahil, Alliance Correspondence Head :**

** I am writing to express my concern with abductions that have been occurring in the Nubian Expanse System. I have been informed that several colonists on one of the more prominent mining colonies have been going missing. The circumstances of their disappearances is unknown to me but I have on good authority that foul play is involved. I request the aid of the Alliance at the soonest convenience. **

** Thank you for your time.**

** Sincerely,**

** Jariad Mari**

Shepard opened the next file titled, Alliance Subject Assignment.

**Topic: Nubian Expanse investigation of colonist abduction**

** Subject: Kia Sulei, Special Operations Alliance Covert Affairs**

** Case Number: 0029-HEX78**

** Assignment: Investigate Nubian Expanse System and surrounding nebulas; locate mining colonies; determine mining colony experiencing abductions and investigate source; procure whereabouts of abductees; maintain cover. Any necessary authority or action sanctioned. **

Shepard flipped open the third file, which was unlabeled.

**Reached the Nubian Expanse System and beginning subsequent investigation of area and surrounding colonies. No intel as of yet. Will report back in with further information at a later date.**

Shepard opened up the last file that was once again unlabeled.

**Have located possible planet of interest; several mining colonies present. No interference in investigation so far. No new information to report and no signs of foul play. **

Slowly Shepard logged out of the terminal and powered it down; she left Hackett's building. As she walked out into the sun she thought carefully over the information she'd just read through. Kia Sulei had been assigned to investigate disappearances on a mining colony somewhere in the Nubian Expanse System. She had been a skilled Alliance soldier and maintained cover for most of her operations and yet she had vanished on this mission. Her two entries to the Alliance had been sent three months apart and the last one had indicated she'd found a planet that was the possible location of the abductions. Shepard felt certain that whatever Kia Sulei had run into that made her disappear for over a year was on whatever planet she'd last been on. Sadly she hadn't identified _which _planet it was. The real question however, was how did Kia Sulei, a once diligent Alliance operative, turn into a would be assassin?

As Shepard continued walking away from Hackett's building she was lost in thought and therefore did not see that Javik had just spotted her and was heading in her direction. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she ran right into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry—Javik!" Shepard exclaimed in surprise. The ancient prothean looked back at her suspiciously.

"Commander Shepard," he said in response.

"How have you been acclimatizing to everything?" Shepard asked casually, hoping that he'd answer and then be on his way. Not only did she want to think about the information she'd come across she wanted to hurry up and get to the Citadel to begin work on it.

"I have been working on burying the dead of your world. No one seems to want to do this, so I decided to take up this task," he answered, still eyeing her like a lion eyes prey.

"Oh…I'm glad you are…finding things to do. If you'll excuse me," Shepard said and tried to get out of Javik's way. However, Javik stepped in front of her, cutting her off.

"_They aren't all dead_. In your soul you know this to be true," Javik said cryptically.

Shepard frowned and looked up at him. "They are all dead. I killed the bastard who created them and that killed _all _of them."

"No," Javik began and leaned in close to Shepard's face, a clear violation of her space. "Most of them dead, yes, but all…no. The children of monsters come in many shapes and forms. You must have eyes for all of them. In the days to come you will need to remember that."

With narrowed eyes Shepard replied, "You weren't there. I killed them; I killed _all of them_. If there are any left I'll kill them too. I don't have to have special eyes to _see them; _I know one when I see it."

"Do you? You must remember that when you do _see _one again that you cannot wait to strike. The Reapers and their creations are like a disease; leave them alone for just a short time and they will make more and become an unstoppable threat. I ask that you remember that," Javik stated in a serious way. Shepard stepped away from him then and started walking away, not looking back at him; irritated that he could not accept the fact that the Reapers were truly dead.

"Remember what I say Shepard, for there may come a time when you face the children of monsters and it is _you _who has the ability to save them or destroy them; do not be seduced by their power; their power is a lie…destroy them," he called from behind her.

Continuing walking, Shepard called back to him, "Thank you Javik I'll keep that in mind." Her voice held an edge of sarcasm to it. She was sick of Javik's cryptic explanations or suggestions. He was the only living prothean in the galaxy and he was very much stuck in the past; stuck in his blood lust for the Reapers. She didn't think that he would ever get over that desire for revenge or the fact that they were truly dead.

Shepard arrived at the docking bay a short while later to see Cortez sitting outside of his little transport. He seemed to be watching for her because when she came into his line of sight he eagerly waved at her. Shepard waved back and kept heading in his general direction.

"Shepard! I've been wondering when I would get to see you again. I heard that you were doing pretty well. I can't tell you how glad I am that you are okay and that you do seem to be doing pretty well," Cortez said with a smile as Shepard walked up to him.

"Good to see you too Cortez," Shepard replied and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Well I suppose we shouldn't really waste time…the Citadel right?" Cortez asked a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"The Citadel," Shepard repeated forcing a smile on her face. She didn't want Cortez to feel any added anxiety from her; she already had enough of that on her own.

"This should be interesting," Cortez remarked and climbed aboard the transport.

Just as Shepard was going to board the transport she looked up at the sky. What had once been sunny and bright was now a dull gray; a looming storm overhead. Shepard frowned at the sky, not wanting to see storm clouds in her future; she had had enough rainclouds to last a lifetime.

* * *

**F/N: **I hope the part where Shepard opens files wasn't confusing; the formatting is weird on here, so it changed from how I had it in Word. Sorry about that.


	10. Chapter 10 Discoveries

**A/N: **Chapter ten! But alas, if you are waiting for the lemon, it is still yet to arrive. More intrigue in this chapter, and we're finally off Earth. I was glad about that move because I was sick of writing about Earth, because while that element is important who really wants to read about repairing stuff all day? I guess some people would, but I'm certainly not one of those people. Sorry for the late night update, I was making bracelets and earrings all day. Damn that beading class, it's gotten me using all my time to sit around and make jewelry. Well I hope everyone enjoys the chapter, it's got a little bit of tension with Kaiden, because I love making Kaiden annoying and biting at Shepard's heels like a dog that wants attention. Plus, I'm a sucker for complications in established relationships, not that I'm going to make Kaiden a true threat; it's just fun to have him trying to come between Garrus and Shepard. Anyway, enjoy reading it! Thank you everyone who has taken the time to review! I love reading them!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

* * *

Ten: Discoveries

"Kaiden what's your omni tool saying? Do we have _any _power in this room yet? The emergency lighting is starting to give me a headache," Shepard asked, rubbing the back of her neck and glancing toward Kaiden who was nearby examining his omni tool.

"I'm reading minor power fluctuations, but that's all. The tech work those people did in this room just didn't cut it," Kaiden answered looking back at her with a disappointed expression.

Shepard sighed and turned away from him to stare at the dimly lit room before her. It had once been the Citadel Embassies, now it was no more than a poorly lit, bloody, rubble filled mess. While certain parts of the Citadel had been powered up there were still many places that had no power and an unknown amount of destruction.

Three days ago Shepard had arrived on the Citadel with only Cortez to assist her. She'd found the Citadel in slightly better circumstances than when she'd entered it to face the creator of the Reapers. Apparently Hackett had been sending cleanup crews to the Citadel while she had been on Earth. The majority of bodies had been removed, although there were still levels of the Citadel that hadn't been accessed and there were almost certainly bodies located in these places.

The primary issues with the Citadel were the massive power failures that had occurred on all levels and the rubble and debris from the fight with the god child. The debris and destruction was difficult to contend with in that it required a fair amount of man power to remove or repair. It was theorized that some of the lower levels of the Citadel would need complete reconstruction due to the probability of the levels collapsing all together. The power failures were an easier fix, albeit a time consuming one.

Shortly after arriving on the Citadel to begin work, she had received word from Hackett that the Normandy had been commissioned to leave dry dock and dock with the Citadel. Shepard was to become the primary director of Citadel recovery and use the Normandy as her base of command. The Normandy acted as the go between the Citadel and any outside ships that were offering aide. It was after the Normandy became the go between that Kaiden, Vega, and engineers Ken and Gabby came to help Shepard. Along with Shepard, they took up residence in the Normandy. Of course there were others that filtered in and out of the Citadel, but Kaiden, Vega, Ken, and Gabby were Shepard's permanent team.

For four days everyone had worked tirelessly on the Citadel. It had not been a pleasant task; bodies that the cleanup crews missed turned up occasionally, blood or other fluids could be seen on the walls and floors of many rooms, the emergency lighting made it difficult to see and work efficiently, the air all over the Citadel was thick and heavy with the rot of decay, and the copious amount of debris made any task next to impossible.

Cleanup crews continued to circulate through the Citadel, each day reaching new levels of the Citadel and returning either empty handed or with a large number of rotting corpses. Tech crews also would filter through the Citadel and aide Shepard and her crew in getting the power working. Their job primarily was the get the lights running so that Shepard and company could get the more complicated systems back online.

Shepard wished that Tali were still around because she could use her technical expertise. However, Tali had left shortly after Shepard had been assigned to the Citadel and had returned to Rannoch. Instead of having Tali's technical knowledge she had Kaiden who was useful but not by any means an expert in the world of technical repair and Vega who was good for lifting heavy debris but not so much in the repair department. Ken and Gabby had proved incredibly valuable, however. They had managed to power up systems that had baffled Shepard and everyone else. Shepard felt certain that they would still be fumbling around in the piss poor lighting of the emergency lights if it hadn't been for Ken and Gabby.

While Kaiden, Vega, Ken, and Gabby were Shepards primary team Joker and EDI also would work occasionally on the Citadel. Joker wasn't on the Citadel very often, given his limp and the risk of tripping over something and probably breaking every bone in his body. Besides the fact that it posed a severe risk to Joker's health he had to spend most of his time on the Normandy acting as traffic regulator for those who intended to board the Citadel via the Normandy. EDI spent about half of her time on the Normandy and half on the Citadel. She was stronger than the average human and came in handy when debris needed to be removed. EDI also worked well at getting systems working back up and running on the Citadel. Frequently when Shepard was at her wits end she would call EDI over and EDI would initiate a wireless connection with the system and get it running properly.

Currently Shepard and Kaiden were in former Citadel Embassies and were working on getting the lights back on. This was proving difficult however, since the tech crew that had previously been through had apparently not done a thorough job repairing them. She and Kaiden had been intending on getting basic systems online, but that was far from happening without the lighting systems even working.

"So it looks like Hackett's tech crew got things up and running enough for your omni tool to pick up power fluctuations. That means there's juice in the system, but probably a kink somewhere," Shepard mused examining her own omni tool.

"Yeah, but still for us to find the kink will take hours if not days and we don't have days, Shepard. There are still _hundreds _of other levels for us to get working," Kaiden remarked walking up to Shepard and looking over her shoulder to see what her omni tool was reading.

"I know…we don't have that kind of time to play with. Hackett wanted at least the Citadel Embassies operational within two weeks, and if we have to spend days going through every wire just to find a kink in the system we'll never get this section up and running in two weeks," Shepard stated and suddenly pressed her finger to her wireless earpiece that connected her to the Normandy.

"What are you doing Shepard?" Kaiden asked.

"I'm going to get EDI to link with the system and get the damn lights on and find the kink so that we can get basic power on," Shepard replied and waited for the Normandy to respond to her signal.

"What if the Reapers left some kind of virus in the Citadel? Every time you've used EDI so far I've been nervous. Having her just link up with the Citadel is…strange…and I'm concerned she'll pick up some strange Reaper bug," Kaiden explained nervously. Shepard was about to respond when Joker's voice interrupted her.

"Commander what can I do for you? Everything okay?"

"Joker I need you to get EDI to patch into the power system in the Citadel Embassies. The tech team that Hackett sent didn't do a thorough job working out the bugs. We're pretty sure there's a hole in the system somewhere and it'll take us too long to find. Can EDI link to it and help us get moving?" Shepard asked turning away from Kaiden and pressing her earpiece closer to her ear.

"I will attempt to link with the Citadel's main power system and locate the Embassies power relays. It will take a few moments," EDI replied instead of Joker. Kaiden and Shepard waited.

After a few moments Shepard and Kaiden became aware of a distant humming sound, like an engine powering up. The red emergency lighting suddenly dimmed and everything momentarily went black. Then seconds later the lights flashed on and a few of the terminals around the Embassies started to glow with life. Shepard felt herself smile. Finally the stupid emergency lighting was off and their job was going to be substantially easier now that a terminal or two was on. They could work with this.

"I have repaired the hole in the system, Shepard. I have also taken the liberty of activating three of the terminals in your area. The other terminals I could not gain access too remotely. You must do this manually," EDI replied in a matter of fact tone.

"Thank you EDI, this will make our job significantly easier," Shepard replied turning to the terminal and being disturbed by the splash of blood on its screen.

"She's one of a kind, isn't she? Let us know if you need anything else, Commander," Joker replied and then was silent.

"Well at least the lights are on…but we might've been better off with just the emergency lighting. Now that I can see this place I can safely say I liked it better with the lights off," Kaiden remarked looking around the room.

The main floor of the Citadel Embassies was not the worst on the Citadel by any means. However, it was a shadow of what it had once been. While there were no bodies lying around there was certainly evidence of them. Dried blood was splashed across a few of the terminal screens and across the floor from where bodies had once fallen, the stairs leading up to former councilor Udina's office and the Spectre requisitions office had fallen debris obscuring it, and the glass windows had large panes of glass missing or broken where debris had obviously crashed through.

"Our job just got easier," Shepard sighed and headed over to one of the less stained terminals. She pulled up her omni tool and linked it to the terminal. Through her omni tool she entered the system and managed to access the environmental controls. With just a few taps on her omni tool she got the environmental systems back online. A blast of fresh air came from one of the small vents around the room.

"That'll help with the dead body smell…but I don't think we'll ever totally get a grip on it until someone can get out and clean up the presidium. I don't know what's going on out there, but I'm sure it's not good," Kaiden stated taking in a greedy gulp of air.

"Hopefully that won't be our job," Shepard murmured and then turned toward Kaiden with a smile.

"So…any word from Garrus? I thought he was supposed to be coming back today?" Kaiden asked nonchalantly. Shepard raised an eyebrow at him.

"He's decided to stay an additional three days. The Primarch still needs his help," Shepard replied casually. She had forgotten the fact that she was alone with Kaiden and how uncomfortable that made her at times.

"I'm sure Palaven is grateful for his help…but are you sure it's the Primarch and not his family that needs him? Wasn't he really concerned about their safety during the Reaper attacks? He's probably just spending time with them," Kaiden suggested slowly.

"That's probably part of it, and I'll be glad if it is. He was very worried about them and he deserves some time to just be with them," Shepard stated observing Kaiden carefully as he took in her response. His body language seemed to indicate a casual nervousness.

"Do you think he'll tell them about you?" Kaiden asked looking directly into Shepard's eyes.

"If he does that's his business. I'm not going to police him," Shepard replied feeling slightly pressured. Something about the look in his eyes made her nervous.

Kaiden scratched his chin and glanced away and said, "Well I think he should if he hasn't already. His family will need to know since you two seem _serious." _The last word was stressed. Shepard looked at Kaiden and frowned.

"What we are is none of your business Kaiden. And if Garrus chooses to tell his family about us, well that's _his _business. If he hasn't told them already I'm sure he will when he's ready," Shepard said irritation heavy in her voice.

"I don't know if they'd react positively to you…just saying," Kaiden said casually and looked down at his feet.

"Kaiden," Shepard began only to have Kaiden interrupt.

"I know; not my business. I'm going to head over to the Normandy for some food now. Join me if you feel like it," Kaiden stated in a cool voice and headed toward the elevator shaft. The elevators weren't currently running so ladders extended up and down for people to travel to different places on the Citadel. Shepard watched as Kaiden entered the shaft and waited expectantly for her.

"I'll join you in a few minutes; I'm going to work on this terminal a bit more," Shepard explained and turned back to her terminal. She heard Kaiden's footsteps on the ladder.

Moving quickly, Shepard turned away from the terminal and headed over to the ruined stairs that led to Udina's old office and the Spectre requisitions office. She climbed over a large chunk of concrete; apparently it had once been part of the wall. Shepard stumbled over several pieces of debris that were in her way before she finally got to the top of the stairs. The lights during this part of the Embassies were flickering and the door to the requisitions office was open, apparently the mechanism that controlled the door was broken.

Shepard walked into the Spectre's office and was met with dim, flickering lights overhead. Apparently EDI's link with the Embassies systems had only gone so far. It was likely that Shepard and Kaiden would need to do more repair to these portions of the Embassies in the future.

Slowly Shepard made her way down the long hall that led to the information terminals and shooting range within the requisitions office. Finally she was in sight of the terminals and was disappointed to see that they weren't lit up. She approached a terminal and brought up her omni tool to try to power up the terminal.

After a few moments of fiddling with her omni tool Shepard managed to power up the terminal before her. The terminal lit up and a dialogue box popped up prompting her to enter her Spectre ID number. Shepard keyed in her ID number and waited as the system identified her. A moment later it identified her as Commader Alexandria Shepard and allowed access to any data available.

Glancing briefly over her shoulder, Shepard pulled up a file on Alliance operatives and entered the name, Kia Sulei. The computer seemed to be stuck because for several minutes nothing happened. Shepard waited, hoping that the terminal hadn't just died before her. Then a file popped up labeled Archived Records; Shepard opened up the file to find several tabs with different labels on them. Scanning through them Shepard clicked on one of the last ones she saw titled Nubian Expanse. She began reading the file.

**Subject: Alliance Operative Kia Sulei; Investigation into Nubian Expanse. **

** Operative assigned to investigate missing men and women from the Nubian Expanse. Reports of abductions originating from Chief Patrol Jariad Mari, a local authority of the Nubian Expanse; suspected foul play in abductions. Operative advised to track down Mari and interview for further details on abductions. Mari's current whereabouts unknown. **

** Operative has accepted assignment. **

Shepard closed the file, feeling no further enlightened after reading it. She opened up the file after the Nubian Expanse entry. This file was labeled, Report of Missing Operative.

**Subject: MIA**

** Alliance operative Kia Sulei declared MIA after failing to report in for six months. Last entry from Sulei provided no enlightening details as to her last whereabouts. Alliance agent sent to investigate her disappearance. Investigation revealed little concrete evidence. Agent reported that Sulei was last seen in the Kalabsha system of the Nubian Expanse. According to reports collected by the agent, Sulei was rumored to have been on a space station surrounding the planet Tefnut before her disappearance. Sulei's ship was found adrift within the Kalabsha system but not near Tefnut. No signs of foul play on the ship. **

** Sulei officially declared MIA. End of Report. **

Shepard closed the file and thought about what she'd just read. She had an idea of where Kia Sulei had been when she'd disappeared, but nothing to help her figure out who had taken her and what exactly had happened to her in that time frame. There was one last file to read, this one untitled. It was the most recent document, archived about a month before the Reaper invasion. Shepard opened it.

**Subject: Reopening Case**

** Notice: Confidential, head official eyes only**

** Advise reopening Kia Sulei case as new evidence has been collected. Informer Jariad Mari recently found dead in Hades system with a likely cause of death being homicide. Due to his connection with disappearances of colonists and alliance operative Kia Sulei and autopsy findings, it is advised to investigate his death. Autopsy of the body showed several recently broken bones and signs of torture. Along with fractures and signs of abuse, the body had anomalous blood chemistry findings. Officially it has been declared 'unknown blood chemistry findings', but unofficially it is known that the findings indicate Reaper tech within Jariad Mari's body. **

** Due to the disturbing nature of these findings it is recommended that action be taken to investigate Mari's death and the potential Reaper connection. Consider possible Reaper involvement with previous abductions. **

** End of report. **

Shepard closed the report and then logged out of the system. Slowly she sat down in front of the terminal, leaning against it for support.

The man who had informed the Alliance originally had been found dead sometime after Kia Sulei had been declared missing. What made all of that worse was the fact that he had obviously been murdered and had had Reaper tech in his blood work. That fact alone filled Shepard with a certain dread. Some part of her knew without a shadow of a doubt that Kia Sulei had suffered some kind of similar fate to Jariad Mari, only she hadn't died. Kia Sulei hadn't had an autopsy to confirm Shepard's suspicions but she was fairly confident that if there had been one there would have been _anomalous _findings in her blood work as well.

_So what, _Shepard thought to herself; so Kia Sulei was likely indoctrinated and probably had Reaper tech in her, that didn't mean there were more like her out there. It was likely that she was only one person, one left over after the destruction of the Reapers. But Shepard couldn't help but remember that vacant look in her eyes and the glimmer of a blue flame somewhere behind those same empty eyes. She also remembered what the woman had said to her, specifically the, _I am not the Creator_ part. _What if that wasn't Kia Sulei speaking to me, but __**something **__else?_ Shepard asked herself feeling an edge of fear grip her.

Silence filled Shepard's ears as she continued to sit against the terminal. She suddenly became painfully aware of how completely alone she was. There was no sound, save for her breathing. Kaiden was probably on the Normandy now having something to eat and she was still here, alone. Memories of Shepard's entry to the Citadel after the final push swarmed her mind. She remembered the red emergency lighting, the bodies piled up around her, a Keeper watching her from a dark corner; the silence of her surroundings.

Shepard suddenly rose and hurriedly left the requisitions office and half fell down the wrecked stairs. She stumbled to the elevator shaft and with shaky hands gripped the ladder and started climbing. It was dark in the elevator shaft and eerily quiet. At that moment Shepard wanted nothing more than to be off the Citadel and on the Normandy or anywhere else for that matter.

Finally Shepard got to another level, the level that would let her board the Normandy. As Shepard climbed out of the elevator shaft, she nearly fell down into the blackness in her hurry. Her heart racing, Shepard quickly moved through the much improved docking bay. The lighting was much better here and there was hardly any blood staining anything. Despite this, Shepard still felt edges of panic pressing against her mind.

The Normandy's airlock was just up ahead of her and seeing it made Shepard actually break out into a sprint to get to it. She raced toward the door and using her omni tool, commanded it to open. The Normandy's airlock opened up to her and Shepard rushed forward as if her very life depended on it.

Panting, Shepard slouched against one of the Normandy's walls and watched as the airlock doors closed, preventing her from looking at the Citadel any longer. Shepard felt sweat pooling between her breasts and collecting on her forehead.

With her breathing returning to normal and her composure slowly coming back to her, Shepard exited the airlock. After a few moments of navigating the halls she saw Joker and EDI walking her direction.

"Commander! How was playing on the Citadel? Is it still majorly creepy over there?" Joker asked in a playful voice. EDI stood next to him looking far more commanding and authoritative.

"You could say that," Shepard trailed off and casually tried to sneak past them.

"Commander Shepard you're heart rate is elevated and you are perspiring to an excessive degree. Are you well?" EDI asked. Shepard bit her lip, wishing at that moment that EDI wasn't an all knowing AI.

"I'm fine…just got a little rattled out there," Shepard replied with a forced smile.

"Don't blame you Commander. I don't know why Hackett even wants us to try to restore it. I mean is _anybody _ever gonna want to visit it again let alone work on it?" Joker exclaimed.

Eagerly changing the subject, Shepard asked, "Have you seen Kaiden, or James?"

"Major Alenko is in the mess hall having lunch I believe. Lieutenant Vega I believe is still on the Citadel working with engineers Daniels and Donnelly," EDI replied.

"Thanks, I think I'll go join Kaiden then," Shepard said walking away, hoping that further conversation would not happen.

"Not a bad idea. He seemed all moody again," Joker mused as Shepard continued walking away.

"I have noticed Major Alenko frequently experiences mood swings when he is or has been in Shepard's company," EDI explained to Joker. Shepard heard Joker laugh.

Shepard continued down the hall, not sure if she was actually going to strike up a conversation with Kaiden or just head up to her cabin to be alone and think over the information she'd come across. What she wanted most of all at the moment was Garrus. She would be able to tell these things to Garrus and she could send him a message but hesitated in doing so; this particular subject would be better to discuss in person, especially since she'd probably have to reveal what _exactly _Kia Sulei had said to her.

Stopping at the elevator, Shepard thought about where she wanted to go; up to her cabin or to Kaiden in the mess hall? If she went to see Kaiden he'd be sure to bring up uncomfortable subjects and if she went up to her cabin she'd be alone with her thoughts which she currently didn't want to face.

In the end Shepard chose the mess hall; she could handle a few uncomfortable questions from Kaiden. It was a better alternative to sitting alone in her cabin contemplating the possibility of some kind of _other _Reaper influence out in the galaxy.

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**F/N: **Once again, sorry if the formatting on the files Shepard pulls up confused anyone. Formatting into these documents from Word jumbles everything up.


	11. Chapter 11 Reunion

**A/N: **Chapter eleven now...and guess what? THIS IS THE LEMON CHAPTER! Yay for everyone who was holding out for that, and boo for everyone who hates lemons. If anyone who's reading my story hates lemons, I suggest you skip the middle/end of this chapter because it's all lemon. Now keep in mind, when I write lemons I don't write them as straight up smut, I like to try to make mine classy and aim for a more soft and sensual feel. Well I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I even enjoyed reading over it again. It's always nice to write Garrus and Shepard fluffy loving', but I'm never one to keep things all peachy keen; I like to make messes. On that note, enjoy reading this chapter. Please feel free to comment, I do very much appreciate any comments; it's nice to see what everyone is thinking. That's all for now!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware.

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Eleven: Reunion

C-Sec was in better repair than Shepard remembered. The last time she had been here it had been dark, dirty, smelly, and far from operational. Now it was fully lit, clean, and much more functional. The air was still a little stale, but that was probably going to continue until the environmental systems all over the Citadel were repaired. The rotting foliage and unknown amount of dead bodies in the Presidium didn't help the situation any.

"I guess Hackett's scrub team has done a good job cleaning up this place. I'm betting that it was Gabby and Ken that got everything up and running though," Kaiden remarked looking around the former C-Sec headquarters.

"I don't know what else there is for us to do, except maybe run some encryption codes on some of the systems. That really shouldn't take very long though," Shepard observed.

"I wonder if any of the C-Sec personnel lived when the Illusive Man seized hold of the Citadel," Kaiden wondered absently. Shepard shot an annoyed glare his way. Only Kaiden would ask questions like that.

James Vega who was with both Kaiden and Shepard and had remained quiet chose now to speak up. "Somehow you always manage to ask what I'm thinking, but don't want to say." Vega looked at Kaiden with a mocking look on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean Lieutenant?" Kaiden asked, turning around and approaching Vega as if he intended to start a fight.

While Kaiden hadn't been injured as severely as Vega had, Vega still maintained his superior muscle tone and strength. The chances of Kaiden winning in a fight against Vega were unlikely, unless Kaiden cheated and used biotics. Although even with biotics, Kaiden might still lose.

"Knock it off you two. Vega stop antagonizing Kaiden, and Kaiden stop saying the first thing that comes to your mind," Shepard snapped and headed forward toward one of the C-Sec security terminals. If the boys weren't going to be productive then at least she would get the job done and enable the necessary encryption codes.

"Fine," Kaiden sneered from behind her and moved on ahead to another terminal to begin work.

"Something bothering you Lola?" Vega asked, using his nickname for Shepard.

Shepard raised her head from her terminal and gave him a serious look. "Not really. I just don't like it when men find posturing necessary."

"Well…okay, guess I'll leave you be Shepard. But for the record, I don't consider my conversation with Kaiden _posturing,_" Vega replied and left the C-Sec headquarters, assumedly to work on something else.

Three days had passed since Shepard had gone digging in the Sepctre's Requisitions office and found more information on the deceased assassin Kia Sulei. Shepard had at first been incredibly nervous to return to the Citadel Embassies, and had refused to stay there alone, coming up with some kind of excuse anytime one of her partners needed to leave. Thankfully, she hadn't had to stay there much longer since the tech crew was scheduled to return to the Citadel Embassies.

The most recent tasks Shepard had been carrying out was working on C-Sec. James Vega had joined her and Kaiden once they'd started working in C-Sec. The cleanup crew had managed to remove most of the debris and left over mess, so it wasn't all that bad. Mostly it was repair work and fine tuning an already fragile system.

With the three days passed, the Citadel had improved marginally but that wasn't really a surprise given the fact that the Citadel was huge and returning it to functioning was an enormous task. Shepard found things particularly frustrating because she didn't feel she had an outlet to vent to. In the past she had vented her troubles to any of her crew that she felt close to, but now things were a little different. Shepard felt she couldn't be completely honest with just anyone considering the intel she'd recently discovered. What Shepard really needed was for Garrus to return.

All through her journey of fighting Saren, the Collectors, and the Reapers she had been able to confide in him. Garrus was a unique sort of person in that she felt she could tell him anything and he would not judge or think less of her for it. Much like herself, Garrus was a damaged individual, one who had made hard decisions, seen terrible things, and forced to _do _terrible things. Thankfully Garrus was due to return today, which made Shepard quite pleased.

Thinking of Garrus and his impending arrival made Shepard's stomach flip flop with butterflies. It seemed so long since she'd last seen him. His last message to her had been yesterday, so she assumed he was busy finishing things up on Palaven today. A part of her was a little nervous about the reunion the two would inevitably share sometime later that day. It had been a while since she'd been coupled with him, not that she was truly nervous, more so very excited and just a tad anxious. Having been forced to wait made the experience to come all the more exciting. She honestly didn't know how long she'd been able to get along during the six months they'd been apart before the Reapers hit.

As Shepard continued to think of Garrus she remembered Kaiden's comments three days ago. He'd managed to fill Shepard's head with doubt and concern about what Garrus's family would think of their relationship. From everything Garrus had said to her in past conversations it seemed like he wasn't a huge fan of his father and clashed with him on a lot of things. If that was the case, wouldn't it be likely that he would clash with Garrus on his choice of significant other? The thought of having Garrus's family reject her made her slightly uncomfortable. How would Garrus react if his family didn't accept her? She felt fairly certain that Garrus would remain at her side despite potential negative responses from his family…but the doubt Kaiden had put in her mind made her wary.

"Commander you there?" Joker's voice cut through her thoughts as Shepard realized that he'd already called her name once.

"Sorry Joker, busy encrypting something; was lost in the task," Shepard mumbled into her com piece and hoped that Kaiden or Vega hadn't witnessed her moment of cluelessness.

"That's okay Commander. Glad to know that I'm not the only one that happens to," Joker replied with a chuckle.

"Jeff, may I point out that when someone must address you more than once it is usually because you are purposefully ignoring them," EDI chimed. Shepard heard her com crackle with static and then thought she heard Joker say something snide at EDI in response.

"Don't listen to her Commander, I'm _always _paying attention…anyway, wanted to let you know that Garrus arrived on the Normandy about ten minutes ago. He's headed over your way now," Joker stated.

Feeling her heart flutter in excitement, Shepard replied, "Thanks Joker. I'll let Kaiden and James know." Eagerly turning away from her terminal she looked over to Kaiden, who was watching her carefully. The expression on his face was mainly pensive but mixed with…disappointment?

Vega popped up from around the corner and said, "Garrus just showed up. He's out in that C-Sec corridor where they make you wait before they let you in. You know the one where they verify you're human, or organic, or something."

Shepard nodded and left her terminal without hesitation. She could feel Kaiden's eyes following her, but paid little attention to it, because beyond the door just ahead of her was Garrus, her friend; lover; soul mate.

The door in front of her whooshed open and standing out in the hall, tapping at a terminal, was Garrus Vakarian. He looked just as she remembered, still dressed in his armor, his colony markings blue as ever, the scars healing but ever present on his cheek, his characteristic visor flickering; it was everything she remembered and missed. Garrus turned to her, his eyes twinkling.

"Shepard! It's been a while!" He exclaimed his mandibles flaring wide, his arms open in a welcoming gesture. Shepard couldn't contain herself; she rushed forward and leapt into his open arms. Although he was surprised, Garrus caught Shepard and wrapped his own arms around her.

"I've missed you," Shepard whispered with a toothy grin spread across her face. Before he could respond or even move, Shepard pressed her lips to his mouth.

As Shepard pulled away she gazed into her beloved turians eyes, he said to her, "I've missed you too." He leaned in to kiss her only to be stopped by someone clearing their throat from down the hall.

"Commander, we really do need to get the encryption codes put into the system before everything is considered fully operational in C-Sec," Kaiden stated, an edge of annoyance in his voice.

Frowning, Shepard removed herself from Garrus's arms. She gave Garrus a look of frustration before turning to Kaiden. Slowly she turned to face Kaiden and replied, "You're right Kaiden; we've got a lot to do…so yes, I'll get back to those encryptions. Why don't you direct Garrus to work with Vega?"

"Yeah. Okay," Kaiden responded, not looking at Shepard but instead at Garrus. He looked annoyed.

Shepard moved passed Kaiden without glancing his way once. However, when Garrus walked by Kaiden he paused and murmured quietly so that only Kaiden would hear him.

"Guess I'm going to get to see those moves I was talking about in the bar, sooner than later." With that said Garrus continued to breeze by Kaiden. Kaiden stared after Garrus with a look of irritation and outrage on his face.

Shepard glanced back from the terminal she was now at and saw a very smug looking Garrus walking away from Kaiden, and Kaiden looking like he was going to jump across the distance separating he and Garrus and tackle him. She rolled her eyes, but knew that Kaiden wouldn't take any further action against Garrus, at least not publically.

Just as Shepard was finishing encrypting one of C-Sec's security systems Joker buzzed her com again. She pressed her com to her ear and said, "Yes Joker?"

"Admiral Hackett wants to talk with you. He's ready for you on your private terminal; said he wanted you to take the call privately…so might as well head on over to the Normandy before he gets all bent out of shape," Joker explained patiently to Shepard. Shepard sighed and stepped away from her terminal.

"Kaiden have James finish up for you at your terminal and please finish encrypting mine. Garrus should be able to complete whatever James was doing. When you're done head over to the Normandy for dinner," Shepard commanded and headed out of C-Sec. She was annoyed that Hackett needed her _now_, especially when Garrus was finally here…but she was sure that he would find her later.

A short time later Shepard was sitting at her desk and looking at her private terminal while it loaded the image of Hackett's face. He looked the same as he had the last time she had spoken with him, just pixelated.

"Admiral Hackett; what can I do for you?" She asked absently, hoping the conversation would end quickly.

"I wanted to check in and see how things are going on the Citadel?" Hackett asked from the terminal.

"They're going as well as can be expected. We've got C-Sec nearly operational, and the docking bay the Normandy is currently stationed at is ready to go; the Embassies are going to need a little bit more time…and well, there's a lot more to do. This job is going to take _months," _Shepard answered thinking about all the work that was left to do on the Citadel.

"Well I never expected it to get done in a few days, Shepard. Let's just try to have it done in under a year…now, I also wanted to ask if you've been able to visit the requisitions office and utilized your Spectre status to dig up any information on that woman, uh, Kia Sulei?"

Shepard paused, recalling the unpleasant memory of her trip to the requisitions office. "Yes; I was able to access a few files on Kia Sulei. It yielded a bit more information than the file you gave me."

Hackett paused and rubbed his chin in thought. "I hope it was enlightening. I'd ask you to brief me, but I'm sure you have more important things to get back to. Just try to send me a breakdown of the information once you get the Embassies in working order. In the meantime I wanted to let you know that I heard from my agent, the one that I sent to investigate Kia Sulei," Hackett reported.

"What did she have to say?" Shepard asked casually, trying to maintain her composure and not reveal the anxiety she felt when discussing Kia Sulei.

"She said she'd explored the Nubian Expanse and hadn't found much. It's like I said earlier, the case is over a year old and has most certainly gone cold. I don't think there's much left to find," Hackett explained.

Shepard leaned forward and said, "Have her search the Hades Nexus; I uncovered some information that stated the informant who initially requested Alliance aide was found dead in the Hades Nexus. There were anomalies found in his blood and evidence of torture," Shepard paused trying to remember the date at which Jariad Mari's body had been discovered. "This would've happened just shortly before the Reaper invasion on Earth so an investigation into that might turn up more evidence."

"You think his death and the abductions in the Nubian Expanse are connected?" Hackett asked curiously.

"I think so. Some of the information I recovered made me think that a connection was likely. If your agent doesn't have other assignments, I'd send her there," Shepard replied.

"Alright; I'll suggest she head out to the Hades Nexus. I think that's all on my end…just make sure you send that information you recovered my way when you can," Hackett stated and smiled at Shepard.

"I'll get right on it Admiral," Shepard responded and nodded in his direction.

"See that you do. Hackett out." The screen went blank. Shepard leaned back in her chair and pinched her eyes closed, thinking over the situation that seemed to be continuously evolving when it came to Kia Sulei and how she had ended up trying to kill her.

"Hackett bossing you around again?" Garrus asked, startling Shepard. She snapped her head up and looked up in surprise at Garrus who had silently walked into her cabin.

"Garrus, you startled me! How long have you been standing there?" Shepard asked, her hand pressed to her chest to slow her frantically beating heart.

"Not that long. I wasn't here to eavesdrop on your conversation with Hackett if that's what you mean. EDI wouldn't let me in until the connection was terminated," Garrus replied with a smirk. He casually leaned against the wall next to her desk.

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway…I'm liable to tell you _more _than him. I trust you more," Shepard said quietly, looking down.

"Trying to make me blush?" Garrus asked with a sly look.

"Always," Shepard answered and slowly looked back up to Garrus's eyes. She needed to tell him about everything she'd found out about her would-be assassin.

"What's wrong?" Garrus asked, sensing her worry. He moved from the wall and to kneel in front of Shepard.

"I found out more about that woman who tried to kill me…remember the one who snuck into my room back on Earth?" Shepard asked quietly.

"Yes, how could I forget?"

"Her name was Kia Sulei; she was Alliance and vanished over a year ago. I guess she was in the Nubian Expanse System investigating alleged abductions," Shepard began; Garrus listened attentively.

Shepard detailed Garrus on all the things she'd learned about Kia Sulei the last few days. She still refrained from mentioning the part about when Kia Sulei had said to her, "_join us."_ Instead, of detailing him on that (a fact that still greatly disturbed and confused her), she filled him in on all the information she had learned from Hackett and then from her own investigation in the requisitions office. When she'd finished she waited for Garrus to say something to her. He was quiet for several moments before he finally responded.

"The man they found in the Hades Nexus had reaper tech in his blood? And he's the one who initially reported the disappearances?" Garrus asked, seeking confirmation.

"Yes; reaper tech was present in his body…and given that Kia Sulei showed up in my room and attempted to kill me, I have to assume that she was under some sort of reaper influence as well," Shepard replied, looking uneasily at Garrus.

Garrus sighed and stood back up to lean against the wall again. "Didn't I say once that there were probably outliers in the galaxy that _weren't _killed when all the rest of the Reapers died? Well this Kia woman was probably one of those outliers. I'm sure there are others, and they probably aren't a threat and will wither and die without the influence and leadership of the Reapers. I highly doubt there is some unknown unique Reaper enemy out there that somehow was spared death."

"But what—" Garrus interrupted her by getting close to her face and taking her hands in his.

"I know you still worry, that you can't accept that it could _really _be over, but it is. Alex it's over, and in time I know you'll come to believe that. For now though, just try to not think about it and remember that the people you care about are here for you. I'm here for you," Garrus whispered softly. He gazed at Shepard with a tender expression in his eyes.

"How is it you always know just what to say to me?" Shepard asked quietly and pulled one of her hands out of Garrus's to stroke his scarred cheek. Garrus leaned into the touch.

Garrus moved in closer to Shepard's face, their noses almost touching. He gazed at her with a penetrating gaze, making Shepard feel as if he could see inside her very soul.

"I, I forgot to ask how things…went, on, well, Palaven," Shepard's voice trailed off as she stared into Garrus's eyes and felt deep longing in her that had been shoved to the side so many times before.

Without another word, Shepard wrapped her arms around Garrus's neck and pressed her lips to his mouth. While turians weren't exactly skillful kissers, for it wasn't a natural form of affection for them, Garrus had gotten used to the gesture and even gained some skill in the department. Shepard opened her mouth for Garrus's sly tongue to trace the shape of her lips and intermingle with her own. Garrus leaned into Shepard and swept her up into his arms. Shepard wrapped her legs around Garrus's narrow waist as he carried her away from her desk and to the bed.

While their first encounter had had its fair share of awkward moments, this encounter seemed flawless. Garrus carried Shepard across the room with the finesse of a dancer. He set her gently down on the bed and slowly parted from her mouth to nibble his way down her neck, his razor sharp teeth leaving little pin pricks along her skin. Shepard moaned quietly in response feeling as if her skin was ablaze with fire wherever his mouth and teeth touched.

Garrus slipped his hands to the hemline of Shepard's N7 shirt and brought it up over her head and shoulders revealing her milky white skin and supple breasts clad in a black bra. As Garrus ran his gloved hands over Shepard's breasts and hips, Shepard smiled to herself knowing that she had specifically put on sexy lingerie because she knew Garrus was going to arrive.

Shepard's hands fiddled with Garrus's armor, unbuckling, detaching, and unhooking things here and there. She looked back up into Garrus's face and saw desire alight in his eyes, enhancing Shepard's own growing desire. As Shepard continued to remove Garrus's armor she moved to stand against him and kissed along his mandibles and the tough skin of his neck. Garrus groaned slightly in response to her soft kisses. Shepard pulled away briefly and brought both of Garrus's hands into her view. She slowly and deliberately removed his gloves, one hand at a time. Once his hands were free of the gloves, Garrus ran his taloned hands down the soft skin of Shepard's back until his talons snagged the top of her pants.

At last, Garrus's torso was naked to the world and Shepard leaned into his hard, plated chest. She enjoyed the contrast of the tough, hard plating of his body to her soft, supple curves. Shepard ran her hands down the rough plating of Garrus's chest and kissed along his neck, nibbling occasionally, eliciting a low rumble from Garrus. Garrus hooked his talons on the top of Shepard's pants and pulled them down, leaving her naked except for her bra and panties.

Running her hand over Garrus's fringe, Shepard moved to Garrus's mouth again. She felt his mouth open for her eager tongue and gladly pressed her own tongue forward to slide across Garrus's tongue and mouth. Garrus ran his hand down Shepard's side, enjoying the soft curves and flatness of her abdomen. He pressed his talons into the small of her back, leaving red indentations. With his longing mounting, Garrus pulled Shepard forward making her arch her back and exposing her neck to him. Garrus leaned down to Shepard's neck and nipped along it to her collarbone, where he nipped a little harder drawing just a drop of blood. Shepard didn't mind though; turian foreplay almost always seemed to involve at least a little bit of blood, and she rather liked the bites anyway.

Feeling her desire hit aching levels, Shepard desperately pulled at the armor lining Garrus's hips and legs. She pulled at them savagely, ready for him to be completely open to her. The last of the armor and lining fell away from Garrus and he stood completely nude before her; he encircled her in his arms. Shepard leaned her head against his shoulder and the closeness of his body against hers made her very aware of his heavy arousal.

Quickly Garrus slid Shepard's panties down around her feet, while Shepard shrugged off her black lacey bra. Garrus reveled in Shepard's softness, so foreign and alien from anyone else he'd ever been with, and Shepard was in awe of Garrus's rough, tough, plated body pressing against hers. No matter how many times they coupled his body would always hold an alluring unknown to it.

Lowering Shepard down onto the bed, Garrus moved his head down across Shepard's breasts, pausing over a hardened nipple to nibble upon. Shepard moaned in pleasure and felt butterflies spark up in her stomach; she gripped the sheets tightly, arched her back and let out a soft moan. Garrus continued moving down to Shepard's stomach, lavishing it in wet kisses. At last Shepard could take it no more; she pulled Garrus's head back up to meet her face and separated her legs for him. Garrus responded by positioning himself between her legs.

With one swift motion Garrus entered her, causing her to let out a little gasp that soon turned into a soft moan. The two moved together, waves of ecstasy sweeping through their minds. Shepard gripped Garrus's heavily plated back and Garrus ran his taloned hands through her short dark hair. When the moment of climax finally came, the two collapsed, exhausted, but reveling in their shared love.

For a few moments all they could do was breathe together. When at last Shepard had caught her breath she reached out with one of her hands and stroked Garrus's unscarred cheek. She smiled at him with loving eyes. Garrus placed his own hand over hers.

"I love you, Garrus," Shepard whispered softly with a smile.

"I love you too, Alexandria," Garrus replied.

"Thank you for always being there for me," Shepard said scooting closer to Garrus. Garrus surrounded her in his arms and held her close.

"No Vakarian without Shepard, right?" he whispered into her hair.

For a moment Shepard said nothing and was just content to enjoy being in her beloved turians arms. The memory of needing to ask Garrus how his trip to Palaven had been, returned to her then.

"How was your trip to Palaven, by the way?" She asked quietly.

A low growl rose from Garrus's chest and he replied, "I'll tell you all about that…later; right now I'm ready for round two."

Shepard smiled at his eagerness and was pleased to know that indeed he was ready for round two.


	12. Chapter 12 Plans Set in Motion

**A/N: **Chapter 12 for everyone now. So this chapter is very much the same as chapter 6 was, so if anyone hated that I recommend you skim this bad boy and be on your way. However, it is kind of important to read as details in this chapter will come up in later chapters. Once again you're getting the voice of the villain not Shepard's. Towards the end of the chapter I switch to the villains current status, so instead of reading her in the usual way of describing things you get to see her interact with others. I hope that made sense and I hope this chapter makes sense. If it doesn't I'm sorry, my degree is in nursing not in writing. So just enjoy it, go with it, and this will be the last of these types of chapters for a while. Read, enjoy and review!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware. 

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Twelve: Plans Set in Motion

Well laid plans were the building blocks to success, or at least this was something she had believed in before she was known as the Mistress. Remembering her former life was difficult and seemed to come to her in fragments; never in complete memories. She had been an asari, of that she was fairly certain, but what kind of woman she'd been, she didn't know. However, none of that mattered now that she was putting plans into motion.

It had been quite some time since her interaction with the Shepard human had occurred. In that time she had pulled together many resources and was now ready to have the first of many stages begin. Recalling her days as an asari, she remembered someone important to her, someone she couldn't remember well, telling her that well laid plans had many parts and that each part must be sound and well thought out. While the Creator had given her strength and unlimited power, He had not instructed her as how to carry out in depth plans. All she knew from her Father were the plans he created; they were the same plans her brothers and sisters had shared. The Creators plans were always the same though; he'd had no reason to change them, they'd worked millennia after millennia. This was where He had failed and where she would not.

In the time that had passed between her discovering the Shepard human and realizing the potential there, the Mistress had managed to gather several new followers. These ones had been difficult to control, for the Creator hadn't been with her, guiding her. Despite her difficulty however, she had dominated them entirely on her own, and when she looked at the final product she had felt proud. The followers _she _alone had influenced almost appeared to retain some of who they were; they would be much harder to detect.

Recently, one of the subjects she'd acquired had been very valuable. The subject was human and female, which was beneficial as it seemed that females were at times easier to manipulate and control.

The woman had stupidly walked right into her nest, and the Mistress hadn't even been trying to ensnare her. Despite this, the woman still managed to find her way to the Mistresses door. When she had been brought to the Mistress initially she had been resilient, screaming and fighting—refusing to be taken alive. This resistance was all in vain, however. It didn't matter who it was that was brought before her, they all would fall eventually, and if the resistance was too great for her to control they simply died.

The Mistress had probed the woman for information, something the woman refused to give up at first. After a short time of being in the Mistresses domain however, all the secrets were revealed. A little bit of domination goes a long way.

The woman was from the Alliance and had recently been assigned to investigate a former Alliance officer's abduction. The Mistress had been surprised to find that the Alliance officer this woman was investigating was one of her former followers; the very follower she had sent to kill the Shepard human. While this new Alliance woman had obviously succeeded in some degree in investigating the other member's disappearance, none of that mattered anymore as she now belonged to the Mistress.

As the Mistress continued to probe into the woman's mind she learned more information, information that was valuable to her and helped put her plans into action. The woman was an Alliance agent and worked directly for a man in an authority position, an Admiral Hackett. This was significant because the Admiral gave orders and communicated closely with the Shepard human.

The Alliance woman had never met Shepard, but knew of her. She was able to provide the Mistress with other names, names that frequently were paired with Shepard's. Kaiden Alenko was revealed to the Mistress as one of Shepard's crewman, and more importantly this particular Alliance woman personally knew Kaiden Alenko. There were other names in the woman's head, but none that would prove immediately useful.

After the Mistress had retrieved information she wanted she decided she would use the Alliance woman to her advantage. The Alliance woman was completely under her control, but she retained a bit of herself and was not _obviously _under someone's influence, which would prove useful. The Mistress intended for the woman to return to the Alliance and gain any intel she could on what the Shepard human was doing and where she was. If it was at all possible, the woman was to get close to Shepard—plant herself on whatever ship or position she was serving and watch her; taking action if necessary.

The Alliance woman accepted these orders willingly, and off she went back to Earth to report in to her Admiral and report specifically that she had found _nothing. _This was one of the first steps in a grand scheme that the Mistress would enact. The Alliance woman was crucial for she would feed the Mistress updates on Shepard.

There were many parts to her plan and it would take time for all the pieces to fall into place, but eventually they would. This was something that she had great faith in, for when she could recall pieces of her old life, she remembered that she had been a skilled planner.

Well laid plans were the key to success, and unlike her Father she would not fail.

Another follower she had recently acquired would prove very helpful to her as well. This asari had been easier to manipulate and control than the human had been. Perhaps it was because she and the asari shared blood, although her blood was a perversion of what was truly asari. Regardless of whatever it was that had made the asari fall under her control, it had been easy.

The asari was a vast source of knowledge for the Mistress to work over. She didn't like the idea of having to sift through all the information the asari held, but knew it was necessary to ensure the success of her plans.

Along with the Alliance human, the asari played a critical role in her grand scheme. Just like the human, the Mistress had sent the asari back to her position to watch and gain information and also enact other parts of her plan. The asari almost proved more useful than the human, since the asari had access to many people and resources. While the human would mostly work remotely to provide the Mistress with information, the asari would work directly with certain elements of the Mistresses plans.

These two new additions to her group of followers had been quite handy. It had been unexpected, but an inspiring turn of events. If the Creator had still been alive the Mistress felt certain that He would be impressed with her level of planning. This was perhaps the reason He had her created; He knew that one day a new kind of Reaper would be necessary.

* * *

"Mistress, we have received reports from our Alliance contact, she has reported that Shepard's whereabouts have not changed," a follower said in a quiet voice, while sitting at the Mistresses feet.

The Mistress looked down at her subject, pitiful creature it was. The follower before her was another asari, some dancer from Omega that had drifted in. Mostly useless, but obedient.

"And?" The Mistress asked, annoyance heavy in her metallic voice.

"She wants to know if she should take action; begin the final stage," the asari whispered, not daring to look up at the Mistresses flaming blue eyes.

"No, no! It isn't time; there are still many pieces to be put in place. Tell the human that if she takes action I will sever her," The Mistress replied angrily. It didn't matter how much work she put in, the followers frequently remained impulsive. She might have to call the Alliance human back to her and put her in her place.

"Of course," the asari whispered, backing away from the disturbing, gray figure that was her Mistress.

"Any word on the asari's progress?" The Mistress asked, remembering an assignment she'd given to her up and coming asari.

"The asari on the—"

"Yes that one!" The Mistress growled impatiently.

"She has not reported in; but other contacts near her report that all is going as planned and that the pathogen has been acquired and a tracking device placed on the ship. Reports indicate that the asari has made contact with the male mercenary you sent out a few days ago; he plans to attack the quarian and rupture the suit she wears," the asari replied.

The Mistress smiled to herself; another part of her plan unveiled. The Shepard human would be forced to react to this kind of action. So far the things that the Mistress had done were subtle and done to ensure success of the future. This mission would make Shepard look; make her suspicious; make her cautious. No level of caution would save Shepard, though. When the final piece of the plan was set in place it would be too late for the human to stop it from happening.

"Excellent," the Mistress mused. She waved off the asari follower.

The Mistress smiled; well laid plans guaranteed success.


	13. Chapter 13 Expect the Unexpected

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update again...I got side tracked with stuff today and didn't get this up until late. So I'm working on moving the plot ahead now at an increased rate. The upcoming chapters will have a lot going on in them, but that's necessary to get to the juicy stuff that'll come at the end. Also, this chapter starts off five months after chapter 11; so some time has passed, I cover that in here but I wanted to make sure I clarified it in my A/N so that everyone's clear on that. Look forward to some faster moving chapters, because things are gonna get kind crazy pretty quick. Have fun reading and please comment! Comments are always helpful to me as it lets me know how I'm doing and what you're thinking. Anyway, enjoy it, I did!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

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Thirteen: Expect the Unexpected

A soft sigh awoke Shepard; she felt a hand sneak around her waist and shuttered at the surprising touch. Fingers danced along her abdomen, tracing little patterns here and there. She smiled, but felt a frown touching the edge of her mouth…something felt different about the hand touching her.

Slowly Shepard rolled over to face her lover expecting to see Garrus's sly smirk, eyeing her like a predator watches prey. Her eyes landed on the man beside her and as they adjusted to the body and the face, she suddenly realized what felt wrong about the hand that had been touching her; five fingers had traced her stomach. Shepard's eyes widened in horror as she saw Kaiden's lusty form beside her.

Revulsion hit her with force; Shepard backed away from Kaiden until she fell out of her bed. Kaiden laughed from his side of the bed as Shepard sat crumpled on the floor, still in shock. Kaiden sat up in the bed and leaned toward her. He wore a cat ate the canary expression on his face as he gazed at her.

"You knew it would only be a matter of time before you and I ended up together," Kaiden stated from the bed, an edge of triumph in his voice.

Shepard stared at him, a frown creasing her brow. "Only a matter of time? The only way I could've ended up here with _you _was if you drugged me. We're over Kaiden," Shepard replied venomously.

"Already you have doubts; doubts about your relationship with your little turian love. Did you really think you could make that last? I mean, you're human and he's _turian_…even if _you wanted _to make it last with him, did you really think he would want that? How could you ever live up to his expectations; you're too alien," Kaiden said, sitting up in the bed and staring at her with dark eyes.

"This isn't real; you're not observent enough to make these interpretations or make _these kind _of assertions. This behavior isn't like you," Shepard observed and stood up returning Kaiden's gaze. She was fairly certain she was dreaming and would wake shortly now that she had discovered this was a dream.

Kaiden laughed before her and rose from the bed; as he moved off of the bed and over toward Shepard his body changed to something unknown. What once had been Kaiden morphed into a slightly longer female form with pale gray skin, sharp needle like nails, an elongated fringe (that reminded Shepard of dead trees), and dark tubing like veins crisscrossing over the arms and chest. The tubing like veins made Shepard specifically think of the husks she'd fought, with the thick tubing that extended across their necks, arms, and legs. Shepard thought that maybe at some point this woman had been asari, judging by the fringe and body and facial structures. However, whatever she had been, she certainly wasn't that now.

The woman before her turned to face Shepard, making Shepard aware of the blue flame eyes burning where her eyes would've once been. She smiled at Shepard as she approached her, revealing sharp needle like teeth. Shepard felt her skin crawl as the woman before her stared; she knew that this woman had been perverted into the creature she was now by the Reapers.

"What are you? And why the hell are you on my ship?" Shepard growled at the Reaper creation before her.

"Pleasure to meet you Alexandria," the woman replied, not answering Shepard's question.

Shepard took a step backwards, putting space between her and the Reaper perversion.

"_What are you?" _Shepard whispered feeling terrified at the thought that perhaps she wasn't dreaming. The former asari smiled at her again and blinked her glowing eyes.

"I'm you're future," she whispered and moved close to Shepard so that only a few inches separated them. She reached out with her clawed hand and attempted to stroke Shepard's cheek. Shepard turned away from the gesture, but still felt the brush of fingertips. Shepard's skin burned as if just that limited contact had set fire to Shepard's cheek.

"I'm dreaming," Shepard whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. She prayed she would awaken.

"Are you? How can you be so sure Alexandria? How do you do you know that I'm not here with you right now?" the woman asked her voice metallic and mechanical sounding.

"I'm dreaming; this is a nightmare…you are a nightmare!" Shepard exclaimed, her voice gaining volume. She dared a glance at the monster that stood in front of her; the monster stared at her with expectant flaming eyes, a pointy toothed smile on her face.

"Your future; think of your future," the woman whispered, her hand outstretching again this time gripping Shepard's face and forcing her to look her in the eye. "I'll be waiting."

Shepard screamed.

Her eyes snapped open then and Shepard sat up in her bed, breathing heavily. She looked around her darkened quarters feeling her heart beat like a jack rabbit in her chest. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness; she could see the white comforter adorning her bed, her computer faintly glowing from her desk, the calming blue glow from her fish tank, and the turian at her side. Shepard relaxed slightly, realizing that she'd just been having a nightmare.

Slowly she looked over to Garrus's sleeping figure, his breathing deep with slumber. She leaned down to give him a long kiss on the forehead. The movement shook Garrus out of his deep sleep and he groaned slightly in response.

"Getting up already?" Garrus asked, his eyes still closed, position unchanged.

"Can't sleep anymore…still a lot of work to be done even though we've been doing this for five months," Shepard whispered and turned from Garrus and rose from the bed. As her feet touched the floor her toes curled inward in response to the cold. She felt her exposed legs break out in goose flesh and wished she'd chosen to sleep in pants instead of just her underwear. Shepard headed in the direction of her bathroom to get ready for the day.

Behind her Garrus moved in the bed and called after her, "Bad dreams again?"

Shepard halted and slowly turned around to face him. "Yeah…you know, just reliving the events on the Citadel." She knew she would've been better off telling him the full extent of her dream, but didn't want to, especially the part about Kaiden.

Garrus sat up in the bed and said, "Well it doesn't help that they have you working on the Citadel night and day for months on end. I at least get to leave for a few weeks at a time to return to Palaven."

"I suppose that does just add to the nightmares," Shepard mused softly. Garrus rose from the bed. As the blankets fell away from him he stood up and walked over to Shepard. Shepard took in his naked form, always finding it just slightly amusing that he preferred to sleep in the nude.

"Why don't you take a break for a while? I'm due to go back to Palaven soon; come with me…it wouldn't exactly be a vacation because Palaven isn't in much better shape than Earth and it's radioactive to you, but it would be a chance for you to get away from here," Garrus's voice trailed off on that note.

"I'd like that…I think I need something like that," Shepard confessed looking up at Garrus with a soft expression.

"Well then, all you need to do is get Hackett on the line sometime today and tell him you're taking a break for a week or two," Garrus said cheerfully.

"I'll try to get word his way later today after we've done at least a little work on the Citadel."

"Always the workaholic eh, Shepard? Well let's get a start on the day then!" Garrus chimed and headed in the direction of the shower. Shepard followed him shortly later, looking forward to the thought of getting away from the Citadel, especially if getting away involved Garrus.

For the last five months Shepard and company had been stationed on the Citadel, heading the repair and reconstruction of it. Those five months had gone rather smoothly without any major hitches. Garrus would usually spend three weeks working with Shepard on the Citadel and would then leave for a week or two to return to Palaven. Kaiden, James, Gabby, Ken, and Cortez were permanent residents on the Normandy with Shepard. They rarely left unless they were desperate for a break, which did happen more often than not. Tali had joined Shepard on the Normandy and Citadel a few times over the last five months as well. While she tried to be available as much as possible, Rannoch was her main priority and frequently required that she be there instead of with Shepard on the Normandy. Liara had extended her stay on Thessia, but was scheduled to return in the next day or two to help Shepard on the Normandy and on the Citadel.

The progress on the Citadel in the last five months hadn't been outstanding, but it had been acceptable. Places like the Citadel Embassies, C-Sec, a few of the docking bays, several of the Zakera wards, Purgatory, and part of the Presidium had been brought to complete functionality. Many other locations on the Citadel were nearly complete as well, but because there were so many locations on the Citadel many places weren't completely repaired. There were still many places that were in desperate need of repair. Huerta Medical for instance, was in the beginning processes of repair, and was only one hospital on the Citadel where in reality there were hundreds of hospitals spread throughout the Citadel that still needed restoration.

Admiral Hackett had been up to the Citadel a time or two, to see the progress. He'd been pleased with what he saw, but disturbed when he'd ventured into the areas that remained in ill repair. After his first visit to the Citadel, he had pulled an unknown amount of resources together and sent up more people to work with the tech crew or cleanup crew. Shepard was grateful for the assistance.

Things had been relatively calm in the last five months, with the exception of the nightmares Shepard had started to have. Sometimes it was dreams of being on the Citadel when it had been the picture of death and destruction, other times it was about the creator of the Reapers finding her and killing her.

The nightmare she'd just had involved Kaiden, which was unusual for her; she rarely dreamed about Kaiden. She'd also never had a sex dream about Kaiden, or at least not recently, and certainly not one that morphed into a nightmare involving some unknown Reaper creature. The woman in the dream had frightened her; she'd felt too real, and while it was likely that her brain had just put together random images of normal asari mixed with Banshee's, she was still disturbed by the woman that her brain had created. Perhaps what disturbed her most, however was when the dream woman had still been Kaiden, and the things he/she said about Shepard's relationship with Garrus.

When Garrus had returned from his first trip to Palaven they had had a wonderful reunion, but he had been hesitant to discuss his trip in depth to Shepard. Eventually Shepard had coerced him into giving her details.

Garrus had spent a great deal of time carrying out his search and rescue assignments but had also spent a good chunk of his time with his family. He confessed to Shepard that he hadn't been that open about his personal life to either his father or sister, but that they pushed the subject. Apparently word of the turian human relationship was beginning to spread and word _had _indeed reached Garrus's family. Garrus had told Shepard that while his sister had been pleased for him his father had been hesitant about the idea of being seriously involved with a human, even if that human was Shepard, hero to the galaxy. Garrus of course had rejected any complaints or criticisms his father had brought up, but the fact that his father wasn't that accepting of his relationship with Shepard had bothered her. It meant that Kaiden was right; Garrus's family, his father specifically, wasn't that keen on the idea of embracing her. While she tried to push these thoughts aside, she couldn't help it when they snuck back in and blackened her mood.

Eventually Shepard had confessed her concerns to Garrus, had explained Kaiden's comments about Garrus wanting to leave her because his family wouldn't accept her, and her own insecurities. Garrus had assured her that Kaiden was wrong and that it didn't matter _how _his family felt about her, only how he felt about her. Garrus had butted heads with his father for most of his life, and while he loved his father, he wasn't about to let his father walk in and control who he decided to care about. These sentiments always managed to cheer her up.

All in all the last five months had been productive, but calm. The Citadel was working its way towards a normal status, Earth was in better repair, and the galaxy as a whole seemed to be on the mend. The devastation of the Reapers still hung heavy, but their touch was starting to fade. Awareness of these facts made Shepard feel hopeful for the future; a future she thought would be much brighter without the looming threat of Reapers waiting on the horizon.

Garrus and Shepard left her cabin a short time later, both fully clothed, and ready for the day's work on the Citadel. They had agreed that they would get breakfast in the eating and kitchen area and then work a few hours on the Citadel. It would be at that time that Shepard would excuse herself and contact Hackett to explain that she needed a break. Hopefully he would agree that she needed time off and grant her at least a week's freedom; that was the plan at least.

As the elevator doors opened up, Shepard became aware of Kaiden's voice in the distance. She felt herself cringe at his voice since it triggered the memory of her dream. She remembered his naked form in her bed and his hand creeping over her stomach. _How revolting, _Shepard thought to herself. Sometimes she really did have to wonder what she saw in him when she'd been with him back on the first Normandy. Had she truly been in love or was she just attracted to him sexually? Now when she thought of Kaiden in that way, she cringed inwardly. Kaiden was so oblivious at times and frequently made her incredibly uncomfortable.

Finally both Garrus and Shepard came in sight of the eating table in the center of the third deck and the little kitchen area across from the medlab. Kaiden was casually leaning against the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee; James was across from him making eggs. A few others were seated at the table, Shepard recognized Gabby and Ken but two of the others at the table she didn't recognize; probably part of one of Hackett's teams.

Shepard moved over to the counter where Kaiden and James were, Garrus moved away from Shepard and behind the counter to snag some kind of dextro based food. Sadly, the Normandy wasn't that well stocked in dextro food anymore. Mostly there was just a bunch of nutrient based paste or chalky shakes that Garrus complained about. He was looking forward to returning to Palaven largely because he would be able to eat a greater variety of food.

Kaiden watched as Shepard silently poured herself a cup of coffee and reached for an apple that was on the corner of the counter. He took in her wet hair and the circles under her eyes and wondered how much sleep she'd actually gotten during the night. Secretly he hoped that she was having problems with Garrus.

"Commander," James nodded in her direction and continued tending to his eggs.

"Shepard," Kaiden said and took another sip of his coffee.

"James, Kaiden…ready for another days work on the Citadel?" Shepard asked and bit into her apple, trying to avoid a grimace at the taste of apples bitter flavor.

"Always look forward to an impossible task, Lola," James replied with a smirk. "Care for some eggs?"

"No thanks, apple will cover me this morning," Shepard answered and downed some of her coffee.

"Have a rough night Commander? You look tired," Kaiden questioned and set his coffee down. He gave her what he hoped was a concerned look, but sadly it came across as more of a constipated expression.

"Actually Kaiden, the Commander did have a pretty late night. See, I got her hooked on these epic turian romance novels, and she just can't seem to put them down! Every night she reads late into the night. I try to get her to give it a rest, but I guess the readings _that _good," Garrus replied to Kaiden's question. He stood beside Shepard with one of his bland dextro nutrient shakes in his hand and eyed Kaiden slyly. Shepard rolled her eyes at Garrus's teasing; it seemed that every chance he got he'd take some opportunity to tease Kaiden.

"Turian romance novels?" Kaiden asked skeptically.

"Yeah; turian romance novels," Garrus said in a deadpanned voice.

"I actually used to date this girl who read turian romance novels. I even read one and they are kinda sexy…guess she wanted me to pick up tips or something," James commented as he flipped his eggs. Kaiden looked at him in surprise.

"See?" Garrus snorted.

"So what…she's trying to learn how to better please you?" Kaiden asked wrinkling his nose in disgust

"No, I wouldn't say that…I'd say she's probably reading them because when I'm gone to Palaven she needs something to remember me by, and our, _nights together," _Garrus answered without missing a beat.

"Garrus!" Shepard cried, choking on her coffee.

Garrus, laughing, replied, "Sorry…sorry I know. I promised, but hey, he walked into it again!" Garrus started to turn away with Kaiden angrily watching him.

"Sorry about that…he's a little free flowing with the jokes in the morning," Shepard explained and turned away from Kaiden and James to go speak with Garrus.

"Didn't think he was joking, myself," James remarked quietly to himself.

"Shut up Vega," Kaiden snapped.

Shepard caught up with Garrus and grabbed his shoulder and gave him a serious look. He shrugged his shoulders and instead of returning her serious gaze he gave her an expression of innocence.

"Garrus Vakarian why is it you have to antagonize Kaiden so much? One of these days he's just gonna snap and give you an ass kicking," Shepard said in exasperation. Her exasperation was only halfhearted though, as she found Garrus's playful nature more amusing than anything else. And it was Kaiden; half the time he deserved it because he'd walked into the situation.

"Shepard do you honestly think that's a threat? I mean it's Kaiden we're talking about!" Garrus exclaimed with a laugh.

"I'm jus—" Shepard was cut off as her com buzzed with Joker's voice.

"Tali's ship just came through the Mass Relay, Commander," Joker explained.

"Okay Joker I'll be up in a few minutes," Shepard replied and gave Garrus a little smile. "Just be good while I'm greeting Tali."

"You know me, the picture of good behavior," Garrus said with a smirk as Shepard began to head for the elevator.

Shepard smiled to herself once she was in the elevator; Garrus always managed to lighten a situation. Sometimes she wondered why she hadn't pursued Garrus on the first Normandy. She supposed it was probably because the idea of an alien relationship was still foreign to her. If she'd been more open to the idea she probably would've been with Liara or Garrus instead of Kaiden. Not that she was likely to swing that way, but to be honest Liara was a better choice than Kaiden in retrospect.

"Shepard we got a problem. Tali's ship just started signaling us in distress. She's trying to contact us but the signal is jammed!" Joker buzzed through Shepard's com.

"Hold on I'll be there in just a minute!" Shepard replied and impatiently waited for the elevator to arrive at the CIC. Finally the elevator doors opened and Shepard rushed out, heading for Joker at the head of the ship.

"Shepard, Tali's ship is showing heavy signs of distress. It is failing to fly level and I am detecting a system wide virus within the ships internal systems," EDI's voice rang out over head.

Shepard pressed her com and said, "Garrus and Kaiden get up to shuttle bay now, we may need to get over to Tali's ship immediately!"

Finally Shepard was on the bridge with Joker and EDI. EDI's fingers were clicking over buttons at light speed and Joker was visibly flustered as he continued to try to clean up the signal from Tali's ship.

"What's going on?" Shepard asked, catching her breath. She looked out the window ahead of them and clearly saw a ship not far from them that was flying sideways.

"I don't know; can't clear up the signal. But she's in trouble," Joker replied his fingers rapidly working over keys.

"There! I've managed to clear the signal, we should be able to receive and send messages to Tali's vessel now," EDI exclaimed. Joker pressed a few buttons on the center console and then Tali's voice emerged from the console.

"…distress. We are being attacked….infiltrated our ship and released a…system. My suit is breached. Need immediate evac now…limited time," Tali's voice was broken and riddled with static but the message was clear; there was trouble and she needed help.

"Cortez you in the shuttle bay? I need you to prep the transport _now. _We have to provide immediate evac to Tali's ship. She's under some kind of attack," Shepard shouted into her communications piece.

"Down in the shuttle bay now, Shepard; I'll prep the shuttle right away," Cortez responded a short time later.

"Garrs and Kaiden are you guys in the shuttle bay yet? We need to provide immediate evac to Tali's ship," Shepard began only to have EDI cut her off.

"Shepard you must take action now! I have detected the activation of an explosives device aboard Tali's ship," EDI said urgently.

"I'm going," Shepard called and began to sprint out of the bridge. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard Joker shout and EDI gasp.

Shepard turned around so fast she thought she might fall over. She stopped once the large windows adorning the bridge came into view. There, out ahead of the Normandy was Tali's ship, the back half completely detached from the front; burning from an explosion. Shepard could clearly see the front was intact, but that the back had obviously experienced some kind of devastating blast.

"What happened?" Shepard asked her voice quiet and disbelieving.

"A bomb in the docking portion of the ship was detonated," EDI replied, her own voice heavy with shock.

"Life signs?" Shepard asked slowly, forcing the words out of her mouth and fearing the answer.

"I am unable to detect any at this time," EDI answered.

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**F/N: **Cliffhanger ending! Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Don't worry though, it'll get cleaned up in the next one. Hope everyone liked it!


	14. Chapter 14 Race against the Clock

**A/N: **Alrighty, the conclusion to my previous cliffhanger. Don't worry though, if you like cliffhangers, there are more to come in the future! So here's chapter 14, I hope everyone enjoys reading it. Although, in my honest opinion, the really good stuff doesn't happen until like 16...but that's just my opinion. Thank you for commenting, I always appreciate reading them. I also really enjoy writing this story because it gives me solace to the ME3 ending, because lets face it, they pretty much bent us over and made us take one for the team with their ending. But everyone already knows that...anyway, read, comment enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware.

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Fourteen: Race against the Clock

Shepard slipped on her blue N7 helmet and quickly glanced out one of the transport shuttle windows; the transport was nearing Tali's damaged ship. EDI had advised them against an extraction as the ship was likely to collide with a nearby satellite or asteroid, resulting in total destruction of the ship. Shepard had ignored EDI's warnings though and had raced down to the shuttle bay to join Garrus, Kaiden, and Cortez who were waiting and ready to go.

Now Shepard stood inside the shuttle, fully armored and sick with anxiety at the thought that Tali had died in the explosion. EDI had reported that there had been containment after the explosion and that the front part of the ship was at least slightly protected from the vacuum of space. Shepard didn't know if she would find Tali alive or dead, or anyone alive for that matter.

"Shepard I have managed to detect life signs onboard Tali's vessel. There are three in total that I am reading as living; two quarian signatures at the head of the ship, one level up from where you will be docking. I also detect one human signature present; I am unable to determine their location," EDI relayed over Shepard's com.

"A human? Was Tali scheduled to be flying in with humans on the ship? I thought she usually came in with a bunch of other quarians," Kaiden asked his voice slightly muffled by his helmet.

"Maybe it's a fluke and EDI's systems misread the signature," Garrus suggested looking out toward Tali's rapidly approaching ship.

"Or maybe it's the person who blew up Tali's ship," Shepard remarked, her voice tinged with anger.

"Just about to dock with the ship now, Commander," Cortez called from the front of the transport.

Moments later Shepard, Garrus, and Kaiden felt the transport jolt from making contact with Tali's ship. Shepard looked out the window and stared at the rapidly deteriorating ship before her. They weren't going to have much time once they were on board.

"Are we ready to go?" Shepard called, poised by the shuttles door ready to leap out of it at any moment.

"We're connected now; airlock should be open. Good luck," Cortez shouted back to Shepard.

"Alright people, we've got limited time; we find Tali and anyone she's with and get them back here STAT!" Shepard stated her voice heavy with authority. The shuttle door opened and the three spilled into the airlock of Tali's ship.

Shepard moved forward to access the console that would allow them access to the rest of the ship. She hacked the door and the airlocks interior door whooshed open; all three spilled into the ships interior. Once inside they were able to see the degree of damage that the ship had taken. Fires were burning around control consoles that faced them; debris was falling from the upper deck; the air was thick with smoke.

Shepard surveyed the area quickly and caught sight of a service tunnel in one of the corner that would lead to the upper and lower decks of Tali's ship. EDI had reported that the quarian life signs were on the level above them. Thankfully Tali's vessel wasn't a large one and therefore they wouldn't need to search a large amount of the ship before they got to the head of it. In fact there'd be even less to search since the back end of the ship had completely blown up.

"EDI how much time do we have before this ship collides with something or explodes completely?" Shepard shouted into the comm piece in her helmet.

"There are too many variables to calculate the exact time, but my educated guess would be around ten minutes. I recommend that if you do not find Tali'Zorah in six minutes you evacuate the vessel immediately," EDI replied calmly.

"Copy that," Shepard replied not liking the idea of abandoning this rescue after only six minutes. Shepard turned to Garrus and Kaiden and said, "Okay, we're going to take the service tunnels; elevators won't be working, so we climb. We stay as long as possible."

"We'll find her Shepard," Garrus reassured.

"We don't have unlimited time Shepard; we need to consider the fact that if we can't find her soon we just evacuate completely," Kaiden responded nervously.

"We stay as long as possible; now move, we're wasting time!" Shepard growled and turned back toward the service tunnels. She raced toward the nearest tunnel and began to climb in when she caught movement just below her.

"Movement below me!" She called and slid down the ladder to the lower level. As her feet hit the bottom she heard Garrus and Kaiden follow suit.

Shepard whipped around and faced the opposite direction of the ladder she'd come down. Her pistol was out in hand, and she was ready to fire if necessary. She scanned the room quickly, taking in her surroundings. Apparently this was some kind of storage deck since there were crates piled everywhere, although most of them had been scattered around the floor since the explosion. As Shepard continued observing the room she caught sight of movement again to her left, behind a crate.

"Show yourself!" Shepard commanded her gun pointed in the direction of the crate.

"Shepard it might be Tali—" Garrus began but stopped when he saw the person from behind the crate come into view.

A human man stood before them, his space suit marred with scorch marks and other stains of unknown origin; his hands were up in a display of surrender. Both Garrus and Kaiden also drew their weapons upon seeing the human before them.

"Who are you?" Shepard asked. However, just as the words exited her lips the man bolted away from them and toward a door farther down in the room they were in. He leapt over the crates obscuring his path like they were pebbles instead of large containers.

"Stop!" Shepard screamed at him, but he kept running. For a moment she thought of firing a warning shot but then decided she was not going to warn him, but rather incapacitate him. Before the man could reach the door Shepard fired off two quick shots that found their mark beautifully. The first shot slammed into the man's knee, the second one into his shoulder; he stumbled at first then collapsed.

"Shepard!" Kaiden cried, alarmed by her violence. She paid him no attention and strode forward to interrogate the human.

Before she reached him she paused and turned to face Kaiden and Garrus. "Go back up the service tunnels and find Tali; she should be on the deck above the one we came in. Once you find her get the hell out of here. If you can't find her within six minutes evacuate to the shuttle and tell Cortez to leave, with or without me; I'll find out what this man knows," Shepard instructed them and glanced in the direction of the bleeding man.

"No Shepard!" Kaiden exclaimed.

"I agree with Kaiden; we _won't _leave you," Garrus replied, his voice firm and unwavering.

"I'll be there, but go! Get out of here and find Tali!" Shepard ordered. She watched as Kaiden slowly shrank away and headed back up the service tunnel. Garrus lingered a little longer; she couldn't see his expression because of his helmet, but she was sure he would be frowning at her. Eventually he left as well, leaving Shepard alone with the bleeding man on the floor.

Shepard turned to face the man; his face was mostly hidden by the helmet he was wearing. She could make out the shape and color of his eyes through the clear viewing strip of his helmet. His eyes revealed nothing out of the ordinary; from what she could see he looked ordinary.

"Who are you?" Shepard asked and pointed her pistol at him again. The man below her shifted and groaned a little as he tried to move his arm.

"I'm no one," the man murmured. Shepard knelt down and pushed her gun against the injury in his shoulder making him wince.

"I suggest you answer my questions or I'll put another bullet in you," Shepard snarled. She was fairly certain that this man was the one responsible for the destruction of Tali's ship.

"All you need to know is that I left the quarian alive, although I don't know how long she'll stay that way," the man grimaced, his voice strained from pain.

"Why would you do this to Tali?" Shepard demanded and pressed her gun down harder into the bleeding wound.

"You're wasting time, _Commander Shepard. _If you want the quarian to live you should go up and find her," the man paused to shift under the pressure of Shepard's gun. "The inevitable destruction of this ship is only the beginning of her problems. Before I detonated the bomb I released an infectious pathogen into the environmental system; I also intentionally ruptured one of her suits seals," the man admitted. With this confession the man's eyes seemed to light up with excitement and Shepard felt her stomach drop in fear.

Tali's suit was ruptured and apparently there was some kind of pathogen in circulation, guaranteeing that Tali would come in contact with it. Shepard felt her mind swim with rage as she considered this man's actions. Angrily, she lifted her pistol out of the injury in his shoulder and then slammed it back down into the injury, hard; she positioned herself atop the man preventing him from further struggling. Bones crunched from the impact of the gun and the man screamed and tried to fight under Shepard's weight, but his efforts were in vain.

"Why do this to her? To yourself! You've released an infectious agent into the environment, detonated a bomb, and probably killed the all of the quarians on this vessel in the process! What would make you do that?" Shepard asked with narrowed eyes.

"It's an agent specifically designed to target quarians, so no harm will come to me or anyone else that comes in contact with it…but it adds incentive that you rescue your little quarian friend. I just got caught in the cross hairs," the man sputtered beneath her.

"Shepard we've found Tali and Kal'Reegar; they're alive but badly injured," Kaiden buzzed from Shepard's com.

"Tali's suit seals are ruptured. If we don't get her to the Normandy now and on antibiotics, there won't be anything left to save," Garrus's voice explained from Shepard's com.

"Get to the shuttle now! I'm on my way," Shepard replied, her thoughts racing as to what she should do with the man pinned under her.

"What about the guy you're interrogating now, Shepard? What do we do with him?" Kaiden asked, static interfering with the clarity of his voice.

Shepard paused for a moment before she replied. Most of her life she had spent her time trying to save others, even those that didn't necessarily deserve to be saved. She could save this man, but she knew she would regret it; he deserved to die. While Tali and Kal'Reegar were apparently still alive who knew how many others had died because of this man's actions. Shepard made her decision.

"Don't worry about him; he confessed to sabotaging Tali's ship, so I killed him," Shepard replied and turned back to the man. His eyes showed no emotion to her intended threat.

"Make sure the quarian talks before she dies; she's got a message for you," the man blurted out as Shepard removed her gun from his shoulder and put it to his head.

"What?" Shepard asked, her resolve to kill him momentarily lost.

"If the quarian dies, make sure she talks before her end comes; she has a message for you."

Without warning the man ripped his uninjured arm out from under Shepard's body and pulled the trigger for her. The blast from the gun startled Shepard since it hadn't been her to deliver the kill shot. Shepard stared down at the now bloody and cracked helmet on the man's face. She could see blood oozing out of the bullet hole and where she had been able to see his eyes all she now saw was blood and bits of gray matter.

Feeling sick and disturbed, Shepard stumbled away from the man and made her way back to the service tunnel. She climbed the ladder with shaky hands and was relieved to finally pop out the top to the deck that the Normandy's transport shuttle was stationed at.

While climbing out of the tunnel Shepard radioed Garrus and Kaiden. "Garrus, Kaiden are both of you in the transport now?"

A moment later Kaiden's voice responded with, "Copy that Shepard we're here; Tali and Kal'Reegar are with us; waiting on you."

Shepard raced across the deck that they'd come in on, dodging pieces of fallen debris and burning places. She reached the airlock and used her omni tool to get the doors open. The shuttle door loomed before her. Shepard crossed the airlock as quick as she could and hopped inside of the transport.

"I'm safely aboard…shut the doors and move!" Shepard shouted in Cortez's direction. The transport's door shut behind Shepard and the shuttle bounced and jolted as it separated from Tali's ship.

"Glad you made it," Garrus called to Shepard from the other side of the shuttle. He was holding Tali in his arms. Shepard was disturbed to see that the quarian looked completely lifeless.

"Likewise," Shepard replied and moved toward Tali. She brought up her omni tool and tried to scan her to locate the suit rupture.

"What are you doing?" Kaiden asked from somewhere behind Shepard.

"She's got a suit rupture; that man we found in the lower deck, he told me he intentionally ruptured Tali's suit and had released a pathogen into the environment. Tali's almost certainly been exposed," Shepard explained her omni tool still glowing over Tali's limp form.

"We've all been exposed then!" Kaiden shouted with alarm.

"No, it was specifically geared toward quarians, or so that man told me," Shepard clarified.

"He could've been lying Shepard. We're all going to need to go through quarantine," Garrus replied softly looking down at Tali.

Shepard sighed, feeling defeated. She used her communications device then to contact Joker. "Joker we're going to need to be quarantined upon arrival to the Normandy. Get Chakwas on the horn and call her up to the Normandy because we're going to need her to provide immediate medical attention to Tali and Kal'Reegar."

"I'll try to patch a message through to her now," Joker replied a moment later. Shepard was barely aware of his response she just continued to stare between the lifeless Tali and out the window at Tali's failing ship. A short time later she watched as it exploded completely.

* * *

Twenty-four hours later Shepard, Garrus, Kaiden, and Cortez were free to leave their quarantined status. In those twenty-four they had tried to patch up Tali's suit rupture and pump both she and Kal'Reegar full of antibiotics. Dr. Chakwas had arrived about an hour and a half after Joker had messaged her; apparently she had to wrap up a few last minute things while still on Earth before she could arrive. She had removed Tali and Kal'Reegar from the quarantine that Shepard and company were in on the Shuttle bay, and had taken both quarians to the medlab for treatment.

The time spent working on the quarians, was one of great effort for Dr. Chakwas. Tali had a system wide infection and a few burns on some of her limbs; Kal'Reegar was brewing a small infection because the suit rupture he had was much smaller. Chakwas at one point was certain Tali would enter into septic shock and die, but she'd managed to pull her away from the brink and get both she and Kal'Reegar into a stable condition.

While both Tali and Kal'Reegar were now considered stable, they were both still unconscious. It was theorized that Kal'Reegar would regain consciousness faster than Tali since his injuries and infections had been less severe. Tali's infection was under control, but she was still running a fever.

As Shepard had explained earlier, there was no infection in anyone else other than the quarians. When Chakwas had taken some of Tali's blood and cultured it she had indeed found a known pathogen that was specifically engineered to target quarians.

When Shepard left quarantine the next day she felt tired and defeated. Kaiden and Cortez had left immediately to sleep, since they'd been awake for most of the time in quarantine. Shepard however, didn't want to sleep. Instead she went to stand outside the medlab and gaze in the windows to watch the slumbering quarians. Garrus was at her side.

"You're thinking it's your fault, aren't you?" Garrus asked. He turned to look at her with a knowing expression.

Shepard rubbed her eyes and nodded; Garrus knew her far too well. "If you were me, wouldn't you feel that way too?"

"No, I wouldn't. You didn't tell Tali to come back and you didn't know there was a bomb on her ship or a crazy person. You had no idea this was going to happen," Garrus reassured Shepard.

"I know, but I still feel responsible. She came back here as a favor to me; that's the only reason she keeps coming back…she could've just stayed home on Rannoch," Shepard's voice trailed off. Garrus placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"This isn't your fault," he stressed.

Shepard turned towards Garrus and gave him a quiet little smile. "Thank you. Sometimes I don't know what I would do without you." She wrapped her arms around him then, desperate for his safe embrace.

"Just don't think this gets you off the hook about going to Palaven with me. I'm still holding you to that," Garrus remarked slyly.

"Well, why we might not go immediately, I still fully intend on getting away with you…to Palaven or anywhere for that matter," Shepard mused softly.

"Anywhere but the Citadel, huh?" Garrus teased with a playful twinkle in his eyes.

"Exactly," Shepard nodded. Sometimes she marveled at his ability to be cheerful in even the worst of situations. That trait was probably one of the main reasons she'd fallen in love with him in the first place; she needed light in her life and he embodied that light for her.

"I'm going to go work on the Main Battery, so I'll see you later. I'll be there if you need me," Garrus explained and gave her a quick peck on the cheek and headed for the Main Battery. Shepard watched him go and smiled at the doors of the Main Battery, taking comfort in knowing he was behind them.

Slowly Shepard left the window of the medlab and headed towards the former XO's office. While she and the rest of the rescue team had been in quarantine, Liara had arrived. Her arrival had been fairly low key and secretive. She had become incredibly proficient at subtlety since she'd become the Shadow Broker.

Liara had been away for nearly six months and Shepard had only occasionally heard from her in that time. Many of the updates she'd received had been from Feron, not Liara. This didn't really bother Shepard; she knew Liara was busy and given her recent strange aloof behavior she wasn't really surprised. Now Liara was back and Shepard thought it best that she visit with her.

Shepard stood outside Liara's door and waited to be allowed access. Finally the door opened and Shepard walked in. Glyph who had been absent from Liara's quarters the last time Shepard had been here, buzzed over to Shepard and greeted her.

"Greetings, Commander Shepard."

"Glyph," Shepard nodded, not really knowing why she chose to reply to it; it felt strange not to reply when spoken to, even if the thing speaking to her was synthetic.

"Liara, I'm glad you are back," Shepard murmured and watched as Liara rose from the little chair she kept in the corner of her office.

Liara looked mostly the same; her skin was still the pale, shimmering blue it had always been and her face still held that sweet innocence to it. Instead of wearing her usual white science attire though, she was now dressed in a looser, free flowing dress. That was the only real difference Shepard could notice about her.

"Shepard, I'm glad you made it off Tali's ship alive…it's terrible what happened to them. I assisted Dr. Chakwas, but I'm not a medical doctor and was only able to provide minimal assistance," Liara explained.

"I'm sure she was grateful for your help," Shepard simply replied. She was quiet now, not sure where to go from here. Liara seemed to have made it clear that she was hesitant about returning into Shepard's life since the destruction of the Reapers. Shepard wasn't sure if that was because Liara didn't want to face the risk of Shepard dying again or if it was something else entirely.

"I'm sorry for not communicating with you more while I was away. Feron was so helpful to me; he sent most of my messages for me. I hope you don't mind, but he'll be joining me here on the Normandy in a few weeks," Liara confessed, her expression a little sheepish.

Shepard smiled; excited at the thought that perhaps Liara was forming a more serious relationship with Feron. "Of course Liara; I don't mind; it'll be good to see him again."

Liara took a few steps closer to Shepard and then leaned against some of the boxes she had piled up against the wall. She said, "I apologize for my distance…there were things I needed to work out and now I have. I'm here for you Shepard, from here on out."

"I'm glad to hear it," Shepard admitted, although she was a little surprised that Liara had apologized for her behavior.

"I'll begin helping you on the Citadel as soon as you need me; all that I ask is that I don't work in areas that are labeled as hazardous due to chemical or radiation contamination. While on Thessia I had exposure to some dangerous chemicals and I'm still recovering, so it would be best if I avoided those areas," Liara explained.

"I don't think that should be a problem," Shepard responded. She gave Liara a little pat on the shoulder and then decided to leave the room. Just before she exited though, she turned back and said, "It's good to have you back."

"I'm glad to be back working with you again," Liara replied. Shepard then left the room, leaving Liara alone with Glyph. Once the doors to Liara's quarters were shut, Liara glanced briefly at Glyph who seemed to glow expectantly at her. She looked down and whispered, "Soon Shepard, soon."

* * *

**F/N: **What on earth is up with Liara? Any ideas? Don't worry, all will be revealed shortly!


	15. Chapter 15 A Message for You

**A/N: **Chapter fifteen! Not sure if this pushes it to 50K yet, but if not, well we are fast approaching that. I wasn't exactly that happy with how this chapter turned out, but I hope everyone else likes it despite my unhappiness with it. No worries though, chapter 16 and on will move pretty fast and should be fun to read. I hope this one works out to be that way, if not, I'm very sorry. Anyway, enjoy reading. Please comment and as always have fun!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

* * *

Fifteen: A Message for You

The briefing room of the Normandy always seemed to be a few degrees colder than the rest of the ship. It was a factor that Shepard became acutely aware of when she was there; her skin would prick with goose flesh and she would wish desperately that she had worn and extra layer. Cold was how she felt now, sitting in the briefing room facing Admiral Hackett, who had personally decided to visit the Normandy following the destruction of Tali's ship.

Three days had passed since Tali's ship had been destroyed. Kal'Reegar had regained consciousness in that time, but was still confined to the medlab and under strict orders to avoid stress; that meant little or no discussion of the events on Tali's ship. Unfortunately, while Shepard would've asked him about this regardless, she couldn't since Kal'Reegar's memory was fractured and vague when it came to the actual attack on the ship. He couldn't piece together an accurate picture. Tali was still unconscious, but by all means doing much better. Dr. Chakwas expected her to make a full recovery.

It was on this day that Hackett had decided to make the trip up to the Normandy to discuss the current situation with Shepard. When he'd arrived it had surprised Shepard, as she hadn't been expecting him to randomly show up. He had brought a little blonde woman with him that reminded Shepard of Miranda, because like Miranda, this woman seemed to prefer to wear a skin tight cat suit with heels. Hackett hadn't introduced the woman and hadn't actually addressed her or introduced her thus far, so Shepard was in the dark as to who or what she was to Hackett.

Shepard glanced toward the little blonde woman from her seat in the briefing room. Currently the blonde woman was stationed outside the briefing room. Apparently she wasn't to enter unless given official permission by Hackett himself. She seemed content to wait outside the briefing room, and for the millionth time Shepard wondered who she was and why Hackett had brought her along.

"We're not sure what to think of the attack so far; I've got men investigating the wreckage, but there honestly isn't much left to look over since the ship blew up. It'll be much more helpful when Tali'Zorah wakes up," Hackett explained to Shepard as she gazed out the glass doors at Hackett's blonde companion.

Forcing her attention back to Hackett, Shepard replied, "Kal'Reegar hasn't been able to provide us with much information so far. He received a concussion during the explosion, so his memory of the events immediately preceding the explosion aren't complete. So far he's been able to tell us that there were system wide failures _before _the explosion making him suspect sabotage even before the explosion."

"Well at least that's something. It doesn't really make sense why someone would target a quarian vessel, especially now. The biggest threat we've known has been destroyed, so an attack was unexpected to say the least. I've put out some feelers into who might want the quarians, specifically Tali, eliminated…honestly I haven't gotten much back on that front," Hackett admitted with a frown. His face seemed more worn, the bags under his eyes darker; Shepard wondered if that was from the strain of trying to restore Earth or if it was the strain from the war with the Reapers.

"As far as I know Tali doesn't have any enemies. Liara looked into it and she can't find any intel on anyone who would specifically target a quarian vessel. Even after polling all of her contacts, Liara still can't figure out why the human we found on the ship would go to those extremes," Shepard remarked, leaning her head in one of her hands and tapping her other hand across the desk. There were too many unknowns.

"That fact alone disturbs and confuses me," Hackett confessed and paused to collect his thoughts. "I can't be sure of anything Shepard, but I have been getting some mixed reports from some colonies in some of the farther out systems of attacks or abductions. I don't know to be honest, because every time I receive one of these reports they're garbled and report _both _attacks and abductions. When I first received these reports I thought it was a hoax, but now I'm starting to believe otherwise."

Shepard was quiet for several minutes, thinking. All of this went back to Kia Sulei, of that she was sure. Kia Sulei had been sent out to the Nubian Expanse to investigate abductions of a mining colony and she herself had then vanished only to turn up a year later in Shepard's hospital room; the man who had reported the abductions had turned up dead with Reaper tech in his body. She didn't know how, but she was certain that everything was connected and whatever was at the center of the missing people would be some kind of Reaper perversion.

"This all goes back to Kia Sulei, the woman who tried to kill me," Shepard stated, crossing her hands on the table. "She vanishes investigating abductions; the man who reported the abductions is found dead sometime later, and now, _now _we have more reports of supposed abductions and attacks. That _can't _be coincidence," Shepard leaned forward across the table to stare at Hackett.

Hackett eyed Shepard carefully before responding. "I read the file you sent me from the Spectre requisitions office about Jariad Mari and the Reaper tech they found in his body. It's concerning, and while I don't want to agree with you about a connection to what's happening now, I think you're right. The Reapers are dead by all accounts, but perhaps there's a few leftovers? After all we still receive the occasional reported sighting of a Marauder here or a Brute there…so who's to say there isn't _something else _we haven't seen? Nothing like a Reaper, just something with enough skill to keep themselves out of sight," Hackett suggested rubbing his chin in thought.

"I don't like the sound of that, Admiral," Shepard admitted nervously. She had been hoping against hope that there wouldn't be some kind of connection to the Reapers.

"I don't like it either, but we have to consider it…that is why I've called in one of my officers; Lieutenant Jillian Wickers. Jill is here to help provide security for the Normandy," Hackett announced and rose from the briefing table and walked over to the glass doors. He slid open one of the doors and poked his head out and gestured to the blonde, Jillian Wickers, to come in. Jillian responded with a smile and walked in.

"You've given me an Alliance soldier to beef up security?" Shepard questioned, not sure why Hackett would just send one little girl to help defend the Citadel or the Normandy.

Hackett laughed and replied, "Of a sorts; Jillian was the agent I sent to investigate Kia Sulei. I have the utmost trust and faith in her; she's a very good soldier. I'm assigning her to the Normandy temporarily to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior…and I guess you could say to _beef up security_." Hackett continued to chuckle.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Commander Shepard," Jillian said with a beauty queen like smile as she held her hand out. Shepard took it still not sure how she felt about the idea of one little girl watching out for _suspicious behavior_.

"It'll be good to have you aboard," Shepard said in response, although she wasn't sure she meant it.

"I've always wanted to work with you, Commander…it's a shame my investigation into Kia Sulei turned up nothing; I wish it had," Jillian remarked with another smile.

"Jillian used to work with Major Alenko before the Reaper invasion, so the two know each other and should get along quite well," Hackett reported with an approving glance in Jillian's direction.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be glad to see that you've joined us," Shepard said with a little smile. It might be nice for Kaiden to have a girl to chase after; a girl that wasn't taken.

"It'll be good to see the Major again," Jillian replied casually.

"Well Shepard, I've got to head back down to Earth. I'll be taking a quick stop over at the Citadel though, to check on things…but I'd like you to keep me informed on any new situation that should arise," Hackett paused and gave Jillian one last look before saying, "Report in regularly Wickers, and good luck, I'm sure you'll be an excellent addition." Hackett then turned and left the briefing room leaving the two women alone with each other.

Shepard turned her gaze back over to Jillian. She took in the bright blonde hair loosely pulled into a pony tail, the pale skin, abundant bust line, skin tight suit, and high heels; she wasn't sure what to do with this woman.

"Well…would you like me to take you to see Major Alenko?" Shepard asked, not sure what else to do.

"Sure," Jillian said, showing no signs of discomfort what so ever. Shepard nodded and the two began to leave the briefing room.

"I worked with Major Alenko for about six months before the Reaper invasion. I got to know him pretty well. He talked about you a lot, actually. I got the impression you two were close," Jillian said demurely.

"We were together once, but not anymore…don't feel any hesitation to start something with him if you want to," Shepard encouraged.

"Oh? I thought you two were still together…I mean the Major talked about you often enough, and he does serve on your ship after all, I just assumed," Jillian quietly stated. While her comment was innocent enough something about it struck Shepard as odd.

"No, not anymore."

"Someone else then…?" Jillian's voice trailed off, waiting for Shepard to complete her thought.

Shepard stopped walking and turned to face Jillian. This woman was nosy and while Shepard herself could be considered nosy at times, she knew when to back off.

"I'd rather keep my personal life personal, if you don't mind," Shepard replied and gave Jillian a curt little smile.

"Awh, alright; I understand, I won't press you any further," Jillian said. Shepard smiled in response and the two began walking again.

A short while later the two were on the Citadel at the Embassies where Kaiden was currently working with Gabby and Ken. He was fiddling with one of the terminals and was completely oblivious to Shepard and Jillian's arrival.

"Kaiden, we've got a new addition you might know," Shepard called when she was in ear range of Kaiden.

Kaiden looked up along with Gabby and Ken as well. At first his eyes stayed on Shepard but then drifted to Jillian. He didn't see to recognize her initially, but then Shepard clearly saw recognition bloom in his eyes; he smiled.

"Jill! What are you doing here!" Kaiden exclaimed with a smile and came toward the two. Gabby and Ken returned to their work, although ears were turned in Kaiden's direction. When Kaiden reached Jill he gave her a little hug, which she returned.

"Admiral Hackett assigned me to the Normandy to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. He wants to make sure Shepard and everyone is safe since your quarian friend nearly died," Jillian replied with a friendly smile on her face.

"Oh, well that's great! It'll be nice having you around," Kaiden said with a grin on his face.

"Well I'm glad that you two will get along well then," Shepard stated and then nodded back toward the Normandy. "I need to get back to the Normandy; I'm scheduled to talk to Kal'Reegar today."

"Thought Dr. Chakwas said no stressful situations?" Kaiden asked puzzled.

"She did, but I'm not planning on drilling him, just talking to him to see how he's doing," Shepard replied.

"Well that'll be good then. Maybe he'll remember something," Kaiden mused to himself.

As Shepard began heading out of the Citadel docking bay Jillian called after her, "It was good to meet you Commander! I look forward to our work in the future!"

"Same here Lieutenant Wickers," Shepard replied as she left the docking bay. While a new face was always nice to work with, she wasn't sure about Jillian Wickers. Hackett may trust her, but Shepard wasn't there yet.

* * *

Shepard arrived on the third deck and saw Kal'Reegar sitting in the eating area. He looked no worse for the wear, although to Shepard, most quarians looked that way.

"Hello Kal'Reegar," Shepard said quietly and took a seat across from Kal'Reegar.

Kal'Reegar looked up at Shepard and nodded. "Commander."

"I see Dr. Chakwas let you out of the medlab. Feeling better?" Shepard asked.

"Doctor said my fever was gone and that everything seemed okay, but to avoid any strenuous activity. I think she was talking mostly about stress," Reegar answered.

"Don't worry; I'm not here to drill you until you spike another fever," Shepard joked.

"Didn't think you were Shepard."

"How's Tali? Any change?"

"Not that I'm aware of…but she's strong, she'll come through this," Kal'Reegar replied with an edge of emotion in his voice. Shepard wondered if there was something going on between Tali and Reegar like she had insinuated all those months ago back on Earth.

"You care about her, don't you?" Shepard asked slowly. Reegar was quiet for a long time before he finally answered.

"Tali's a good friend and a dedicated quarian. I've been honored to work on plans for Rannoch with her. I'm just a soldier, but she keeps me around and I'm glad for that," Reegar replied.

"But it's more than that isn't it?" Shepard pushed.

"Whatever I feel is my own ma'am. I care about Tali, and maybe it's more than that, but if it is I'm not going to push anything if she doesn't want it." Kal'Reegar answered with finality.

"I understand," Shepard murmured.

"All I know is that when I heard her scream on Arden—that was our ship—all that mattered was getting to her," Reegar recalled.

"Do you know why she screamed?" Shepard asked, hoping that this question didn't stress him in the ways Dr. Chakwas had told him to avoid.

"Someone was attacking her, that's how her suit was ruptured; somebody deliberately confronted her and intentionally ruptured her suit. I never saw him, but I've heard from people around the Normandy that it was some human…I didn't know that, and all I really remember is her scream and my rushing to get to her," Kal'Reegar confessed.

"Well every little bit helps. I've got some things to do now, but I'll see you later." Shepard got up and began to head in the direction of the Main Battery.

"Thank you Commander for taking time to check in on me," Reegar called out to Shepard.

Shepard stopped, turned and replied, "I'm glad I could be here." Shepard then continued on to the Main Battery.

Since Tali's ship had been attacked Garrus had spent the majority of his time in the Main Battery. He said this was because he needed to make sure the Normandy's guns were properly configured in case there was an attack. No one disputed this since it was true, but Shepard wondered if he was just trying to avoid the Citadel. Even though it had come along way from where it was, the Citadel still wasn't exactly anyone's favorite place. The general idea though, was that if it could be restored after Sovereign then it could be restored after the Illusive Man and Reaper creator.

Shepard walked into the Main Batter to see Garrus's back facing her. He was at his usual post, calibrating the Normandy's weapons, something he had become incredibly proficient at over the years.

"Got a minute?" Shepard asked as she stood behind him.

Garrus turned around and replied, "Sure; what's on your mind?"

"Hackett sent us another member of the Alliance to _keep an eye on suspicious behavior_ for him," Shepard explained and crossed her arms.

"You think he's trying to keep tabs on what you're doing? That he sent some member of the Alliance to keep an eye on you?" Garrus asked a frown wrinkling across his forehead.

"No; I'm not quite sure what he's thinking. One little girl isn't going to provide much extra protection for the Normandy or anyone else for that matter," Shepard replied, tilting her head to the side as she thought over the possible reasons Hackett had assigned Jillian to her ship.

"Well I've never been one to understand human behavior. You're a human and I think you don't even understand it sometimes," Garrus observed with a smirk.

"I guess you're right; I don't understand everything that Hackett chooses to do. I just don't like the vibe I get from her though," Shepard admitted and looked down in embarrassment. Garrus snorted across from her.

"What'd she do? Make a comment about how attractive and romantic your turian boyfriend was?" Garrus teased. Shepard rolled her eyes at Garrus.

"Funny. No; I can't really explain it she just makes me uncomfortable. That and she was prying into my personal life. She thought I was still together with Kaiden," Shepard explained.

"Really? Well she's not up to speed then. Maybe she just wanted to know because she wants to pursue something with him," Garrus suggested but then paused and narrowed his eyes at Shepard. "Or are you uncomfortable with her because she _could be _interested in your former flame and you don't like that?"

Shaking her head, Shepard replied, "No! No, that's not it at all! You're the only one for me, Garrus; I promise you that. She just makes me feel like…like she's lying." Shepard searched Garrus's face to see if he'd accepted her explanation.

"Okay Shepard. While I am a little concerned that that could be the reason you're uncomfortable with this woman, I believe you. I'll keep an eye on her if you'd like," Garrus then paused and a light seemed to go off in his eyes. "Did you ask Hackett for time away?"

"Oh," Shepard replied remembering her previous conversations with Garrus about getting away from the Citadel. Since Tali's attack she hadn't thought much about that, even with Hackett's arrival. She looked at Garrus with frustrated , saddened eyes. "Garrus I don't think I can leave right now. Tali is still unconscious and there's something going on, something that I may need to be ready for. I don't want to leave the Normandy when something bad could be brewing on the horizon."

"It's a shame, Shepard. You and I really do need to have some time off; just time to kick back and relax," Garrus lamented. "It's probably for the best. If you did go to Palaven with me you'd be in an enviro suit most of the time because the radiation is higher than what you're used to. We could always stay on one of the moons…"

Shepard moved forward and touched her head to Garrus's in a display of affection. "Screw the radiation. One day soon we'll go there and have a grand old time."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Shepard." Garrus replied with a smile and gave her cheek a gentle caress.

"Now, I really should get over to the Citadel to work on something," Shepard remarked and backed up toward the door.

"Alright Shepard. I'll see you later, and if I see the Alliance woman, not that I know what she looks like, I'll give her a growl just for you," Garrus teased.

"That's the spirit!" Shepard laughed and then left the Main Battery with a smile on her face.

* * *

A short while later Shepard was about to cross over onto the Citadel when her comm buzzed. Shepard pressed the comm to her ear and answered.

"Shepard here."

"Shepard, its Dr. Chakwas. Tali has just awoken and I think you should get down here," Chakwas said via Shepard's comm.

Her eyes wide, Shepard replied, "I'm on my way."

Shepard moved through the Normandy like lightening and in no time she was at the medlab. The doors flew open before her and Shepard took a step in. She saw Chakwas at one of the beds leaning over Tali, who was laying on the gurney like bed she had been on for the last three days. Kal'Reegar was on the other side of Tali, his masked face pointed down.

"Dr. Chakwas, how is she?" Shepard asked as the doors behind her closed.

"I've got a headache and some nausea, but other than that, I'm fine Shepard," Tali's voice answered.

Shepard rushed forward to stand beside Dr. Chakwas and looked down at Tali with a hopeful expression on her face.

"Tali! You're okay?" Shepard exclaimed nervously.

"I'm alright, yes…Dr. Chakwas would it be alright if I spoke to Shepard alone for a few moments?" Tali asked.

Dr. Chakwas shot Shepard a hesitant glance and then answered, "Alright, but you aren't allowed to strain yourself in anyway. Shepard that means no pushing her; if she can't remember something then she can't remember it; end of story."

"I won't push her," Shepard agreed.

"Alright then. I'll be going, but I'll be back in ten minutes; Tali please try to finish discussing whatever it is you need to discuss in that time," Chakwas said and then left the medlab.

Tali turned her head to Kal'Reegar and quietly said, "I'm glad you're here Kal, but I need you to leave for a little while too. I just need to talk to Shepard alone."

Kal'Reegar nodded. "I'll be back when the doctor returns. I'm glad you're awake Tali; it's good to see you talking again." With that Reegar also left the medlab, leaving Shepard and Tali alone.

"He cares about you," Shepard observed as the doors shut behind Kal'Reegar.

"I know…though I'm not sure what to do about it," Tali admitted.

"Do what your instincts tell you to…now, what is it you want to talk to me about?" Shepard asked, hoping that Tali would reveal the events that had occurred on her ship.

"I wanted to tell you what happened on my ship before that dammed human blew it up!" Tali replied angrily.

"He's dead, if it's any consolation," Shepard remarked.

"Good…I'm sorry Shepard, it's just he is responsible for the death of my crew. There weren't many of us, and I didn't know them that well, but because of him they died," Tali stated bitterly.

"What happened?" Shepard ventured.

"He must have been a stowaway…nobody knew he was there. I didn't suspect something was up until our systems started to get buggy. Nothing wanted to work; even the environmental systems started acting up and there were warnings everywhere saying that there was a contaminant in the system. I tried to track the source but couldn't and then out of nowhere this human showed up on the bridge and started attacking me," Tali explained.

"Before he died, the man told me he polluted your environmental system with a pathogen. The doctor confirmed it when we brought you aboard the Normandy," Shepard admitted.

"Keelah," Tali murmured to herself. "He fired some kind of gun at me, but he missed. I was going to sneak away, but then he snagged my leg and sliced into my suit with some kind of special blade. My suit ripped open like it had never been sealed in the first place…then he just left me there. I guess it was around that time that I started to shout for help and Kal'Reegar came. He helped me up and helped me attempt to send the Normandy a distress call, but the communications were jammed. Nothing worked…and then the explosion happened."

"Were you awake through the explosion?" Shepard asked cautiously, not wanting to pressure Tali unnecessarily.

Tali nodded and then continued. "I was awake throughout it. I remember seeing Kal'Reegar get thrown in front of me and into one of the bridge control consoles. He hit his head and didn't move after that. I was tossed around with the explosion, but remained conscious. I was starting to feel sick and things were getting hazy. There was fire burning, and the ship kept alarming and recommending evacuation, and then the man came back, the human."

Shepard felt the hair on her neck rise as she remembered what the man had said to her before he had died by his own hand. _If the quarian dies, make sure she talks before her end comes; she has a message for you._ What message had he wanted Shepard to receive?

"He gave me a message to give you, said that my sole purpose was to deliver it to you. Of course afterwards he hit me so hard I lost consciousness," Tali revealed.

"What did he want you to tell me?" Shepard asked keeping her voice level, desperately trying to keep the anxiety she was feeling quiet.

"He told me to tell you, _we are coming for you._"


	16. Chapter 16 Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**A/N: **Chapter 16, and yes we are over 50K words, so whoo hoo for that! Hopefully everyone will enjoy chapter 16, I enjoyed writing it. There's some good stuff with Garrus and Shepard, and some stuff with Kaiden and Shepard too. Sorry for the later update; I had fully intended on getting this up sooner but I was side tracked with seeing Dark Shadows today, which was okay. Honestly, unless you're a huge Johnny Depp fan or you were around in the 70's when the actual soap opera was taking place, it's probably not for you. It wasn't really my cup of tea, because well, I wasn't around for the 70's and missed a lot of the inside jokes as a result. But if you just love Johnny Depp, then you might as well go and see it. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Thank you for all the comments! I love reading them! Enjoy, read and comment please! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

* * *

Sixteen: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

It had been three weeks since Tali had regained consciousness. In that time she had spent most of her time recovering in the medlab. Shepard had visited her regularly as had the rest of the crew that was stationed on the Normandy. Shortly after Tali was discharged by Chakwas she and Kal'Reegar agreed to return to Rannoch on a secure quarian vessel. Shepard had been saddened to see her go, but knew that it was for the best. Tali had almost died and returning home was probably the best; helping restore Rannoch had allowed her to find peace in her life.

After Tali had told Shepard the 'message' she'd been meant to deliver, Shepard had been at odds as to what she should do. She wasn't sure she wanted to inform Hackett that the saboteur had had a message specifically for her, especially one that suggested a threat directly aimed at her, but at the same time she felt that concealing this information would not be in her best interests. In the end Shepard had revealed the information to Hackett, who had decided that available Alliance ships would be stationed around the Normandy and Citadel. In addition to the added ships stationed around the Normandy and Citadel, Hackett had assigned extra Alliance commandos to act as security on the Normandy. Before almost anyone could enter the Normandy if they needed access to the Citadel; now, Alliance security was present to screen anyone entering the Normandy or Citadel.

While Shepard appreciated the added support, she wasn't sure how necessary it actually was. Perhaps it was that she was in denial; caught in the idea that the biggest threat had been annihilated. Despite Shepard's nonchalance to the threat, Garrus had taken it seriously as well. While the majority of turian forces were busy working on Palaven, Garrus had managed to strong arm the Primarch into loaning him a small turian ship with a few turian soldiers aboard it to safeguard the Normandy along with the Alliance ships.

Other than Garrus obtaining the turian ships, he had spent the majority of the three weeks on Palaven. Shortly after Tali had regained consciousness Garrus had left to return to Palaven to continue helping the relief efforts there. Thankfully he had recently returned, which relieved Shepard greatly since it meant that she could spend more time with him and less with Kaiden or the new Alliance officer Jill Wickers.

Shepard had found Wickers' presence very annoying since her arrival on the Normandy and Citadel. Whenever Shepard was in the middle of something that required her concentration, Wickers would appear. She always had something she wanted to chat about, and while at first Shepard humored her, it had gotten increasingly frustrating. She hadn't been able to get nearly as much done as she should have because of Wickers presence. Shepard had assumed that Wickers arrival wouldn't impede her work, because Wickers would spend her free time with Kaiden, but that hadn't been the case.

After Wickers' first day on the Normandy, she seemed to avoid Kaiden altogether. Shepard often saw Kaiden alone or with Vega, which was how things had been before Wickers' arrival. What surprised Shepard was that Wickers seemed to fixate on Garrus instead of Kaiden. On her first day she had spent most of her time with Kaiden, but after that she apparently turned her attention to Garrus. Shepard felt lucky that Garrus had left for Palaven shortly after Wickers' arrival, because her attention to him concerned Shepard. Now that Garrus was back, Shepard felt especially annoyed and concerned with Wickers; Wickers continued to accost Shepard at inopportune moments, and was apparently still interested in stalking Garrus.

Other than Garrus's rip to Palaven, Tali's return to Rannoch, and Wickers annoying behavior things had been relatively calm. The Citadel was continuing to undergo restoration and given the progress so far, Shepard felt fairly confident that the Citadel would be restored to functionality in under a year. There were exceptions to that however, like the Presidium, which was likely to take longer than a year to completely repair, but other than the Presidium most things appeared to be going together smoothly.

Shepard was currently working on one of the many docks of the Citadel. Most of the docks were in good repair now, but there was always some system that needed fine tuning. She sat under one of the docking bay control consoles rewiring the circuitry. As she reattached one of the wires it sparked, and burned her.

"Ouch!" Shepard cried and tore her hand away from the console. She looked at two of her fingers and was sad to see splotches of red, burned skin there. As she examined her fingers, voices from farther down the docking bay drew her focus. She peeked out from under the console to see who was talking.

Down at the end of the docking bay stood Jillian Wickers and Garrus. Garrus was silent, but Jill was talking loudly about something to Garrus. Shepard scooted a little farther out from under the console. Although still hidden to Garrus and Wickers, she was in a better position to hear what they were talking about.

"And she just lets you spend your time configuring the Normandy's guns? That seems like a lot of trust to me. I mean, yeah I guess you guys are friends, or lovers as rumor has it, but it still seems like a lot of trust to me," Jill exclaimed loudly, tossing her head to the side causing her pale blonde hair to fall over one of her shoulders.

"What reason would she have not to trust me?" Garrus asked folding his arms.

"Well…you're an alien, and no offense, but I think the Commander is probably more attune to her own species," Jill innocently replied.

Garrus snorted. "I'll cut you some slack since you're new to the Normandy, but obviously you don't know the Commander."

"Just my thoughts on the matter. On another note, what is this I've heard about you being an excellent sniper? That not even Shepard is as good as you?" Jill gushed.

"Well I'm one of the best snipers you've ever met. In Shepard's defense, however, she _is _a biotic, and sniping people isn't necessarily her style. She's always been more of a hands on kind of woman anyway…me, I like to get things nice and lined up and then strike when the timings perfect. _That _is why I'm a renowned sniper," Garrus boasted with pride.

"Want to teach me a few tricks?" Jill flirted.

"Excuse me?" Garrus asked, surprise heavy in his voice.

After hearing the flirtatious tone in Wickers voice, Shepard could stay hidden no longer. She scooted completely out from under the console, scraping her boots as loudly as she could against the floor. As she stood up, she made a show of dusting off her pants and clearing her throat, and then casually began walking over toward Wickers and Garrus. Her face and body language were relaxed, but inside she was charged with jealousy and irritation at Wickers blatant flirting.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Shepard asked casually. She leaned to one side, her hand loosely placed on her hip.

"Lieutenant Wickers and I were just discussing—" Garrus began only to be cut off by Wickers.

"Garrus was going to offer me some shooting tricks. I've heard all about his sniping talents and I couldn't resist asking for his help in learning a few things," Jill explained, her voice oozing with enthusiasm. Shepard resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose in annoyance.

"Well Garrus is the best sniper I know," Shepard responded gazing at Garrus with a questioning look.

"And you're the best human biotic I know," Garrus stated, his expression innocent. "I don't know if you're a biotic Wickers, but if you are you could learn a thing or two from Shepard." Garrus gave Shepard a reassuring look.

"No, no biotics for me, just good old fashioned human muscle," Wickers remarked and narrowed her eyes at Shepard, as if Shepard's being a biotic made her less than human.

"That's too bad; I would've _loved _to show you a few tricks…since you aren't a biotic it means I can't really spar with you; not a fair fight," Shepard explained, her eyes narrowed in return.

"That's a nice sentiment, Commander, but I doubt it," Wickers shot back. On the surface her voice was playful, but there was an undertone of seriousness to it.

"Well if you really insist we can prove which one of us is right, here and now," Shepard threatened.

"You know I think this whole thing has gotten out of hand. Wickers I'm sure there's something you need to be doing, and I was meaning to speak to Shepard anyway. Privately," Garrus intervened, stepping between the two women.

After a tense pause Shepard took a step away from Wickers and said, "Garrus is right. Let's forget this. Please excuse us Wickers," Shepard said nodding agreeably with Garrus.

Wickers as quiet for a few minutes before she finally nodded and replied, "You're right; sorry to get so uppity. I'll head back over to the Normandy to check in with some of the other Alliance officers." She turned and left both Garrus and Shepard in the docking bay.

"Damn Shepard, I thought you were gonna kill her! The Citadel really needs one of your Nova explosions right now," Garrus exclaimed staring at her with incredulity.

Shepard crossed her arms and glared at Garrus. "Well excuse me for getting a little jealous because blondie decided to start stalking you. Don't tell me you haven't noticed!"

"Come on Shepard! Didn't I say when you first suggested that 'we blow off steam', that I wasn't normally into humans? Why would I even look twice at that woman? She's loud, annoying, and she smells strange," Garrrus explained wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Despite Shepard's lingering jealousy, she couldn't help but laugh at Garrus's expression and him calling her stinky.

"What? It's true," Garrus remarked looking confused at Shepard's laughter.

"I'm sorry…I wanted to be angry and jealous about her flirting, but that's stupid; you weren't even flirting, and to hear you say that she smells, well that's just funny," Shepard laughed.

"So are we good then?" Garrus asked a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Shepard lowered her eyes and smiled lightly. "Yes; I'm sorry…I just don't like that woman."

"Agreed," Garrus began then paused as if to think about how he wanted to say something. "So…I wanted to talk to you about my last trip to Palaven; specifically my family and our relationship."

"Oh," Shepard's voice trailed off and she looked up at him with uncertain eyes. She knew that his family had uncertain feelings toward her, but he had never gone over it in that great of detail. Perhaps he wanted to do that now.

"Don't worry, it's nothing that serious, and nothing new," Garrus assured her.

"Alright…let's hear it," Shepard said trying to push aside any nervous butterflies she had in the pit of her stomach.

"My sister wants to meet you and well…so does my father. I know that may not sound like the best of ideas considering that my father still views humans as more of an annoyance than anything else and he has no respect for Spectres…but ignoring that, they _both _would like to meet you," Garrus confessed and looked around nervously, afraid to meet her gaze.

Shepard stared at him, afraid of responding. Did she want to meet Garrus's family? A part of her knew that she probably would have to; if you engage in a serious relationship with someone, you usually have to meet the parents. While she knew that she would have to inevitably meet with Garrus's family, she still had reservations. It wasn't like meeting Kaiden's family or some other humans; this was Garrus's family, all of them turians, his father a particularly old fashioned turian.

"They want to meet me?" Shepard questioned.

"Yes; of course that's when you and I are both free, which let's face it, that could be a while," Garrus mused to himself.

"Well I've done a lot of intimidating things in my life, although meeting your family—a family of turians—will be a first for me," Shepard admitted and gave Garrus a timid little smile. He patted her shoulder.

"Shepard if you could cure the genophage, solve the geth and quarian war, and kill all the damn Reapers, then I think meeting my family won't be a big deal. I'd gladly meet yours, but, well you know," Garrus stumbled.

"Yeah, I'm easy, my parents are dead…you lucked out. I'm not sure how they would've felt about their daughter dating a turian," Shepard teased as she tried to picture what her parent's reactions would've been like.

"If they were anything like you they probably would've shaken my hand and congratulated me for being open to interspecies liaisons," Garrus jibed playfully.

"Alright, alright…now seriously, is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Shepard asked looking seriously at Garruss.

"No, not really. I just wanted to get that out there, so you could prepare yourself and so I could tell them you agreed to meet them when all of this is over," Garrus reported.

"If that's all then I need to get down to the Normandy's shuttle bay to work on my chest plate. It received some damage when we went out to rescue Tali; I need to get down there and rub some grease on it and repair it," Shepard explained.

"Leaving me alone again? If that's the case, then I expect you to make it up to me tonight," Garrus purred slyly.

"Do you now? Well, we'll see about that Mr. Vakarian," Shepard teased and sauntered away from Garrus.

"See you tonight Shepard!" Garrus called after her.

"Stay away from Wickers in the meantime," Shepard turned and shouted back at him.

Garrus laughed and then replied, "Oh that'll be difficult!"

"Laugh it up Garrus!"

* * *

Once Shepard arrived in the shuttle bay she immediately set to fixing her breast plate. It hadn't received that much damage, but the damage it had received needed repairing. She made good time putting it back in order until Kaiden walked in from the elevator.

"Kaiden," Shepard greeted, surprised.

"I thought I might find you here," Kaiden remarked and walked toward her. Shepard was sitting at the weapons bench with her chest plate laid out in front of her; Kaiden walked up to one of the stations near her and leaned against it. He was silent for quite a while.

"Something on your mind?" Shepard asked curiously. She turned from her breast plate to look at Kaiden, wondering if whatever had been bothering him these last few months would finally be revealed in full.

"Yeah…I know we sort of cleared everything up at our dinner on the Citadel, but there are some things I didn't say…that I _need _to say, and things _you _need to hear," Kaiden said slowly.

"Kaiden," Shepard began but stopped when Kaiden looked up at her and raised his hand to stop her from continuing.

"I know you're with Garrus now, but I need you to know that I _still love you. _I can't just step away from you, away from what _we had. _I understand that you have, or think you have, but you need to know that I haven't," Kaiden confessed his voice thick with emotion.

Shepard was silent; she didn't know how to respond, and frankly wasn't sure she wanted to. Kaiden still loving her was a big deal; it compromised their working relationship. She wanted him as a friend, but nothing more. When she had needed him he had refused to be there; Garrus had stepped in and filled the hole he'd left within her.

"Kaiden…I appreciate your honesty but I'm _in love _with Garrus. I know that hurts to hear, but you need to accept that. It hurt me when you rejected me on Horizon; that you couldn't accept me simply because of who I was working with. Garrus walked into my life and made me see the light again; he filled the hole you left. I care about you, I really do, but only as a _friend_," Shepard finally replied. She searched his face but it was a mask of secrecy.

"Did you…ever love me?" Kaiden asked looking at her carefully. Her response was not long in coming.

"Yes," she whispered.

"That's something I guess," Kaiden murmured and looked away from her.

Shepard rose from her chair and walked over to him and gently touched his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kaiden; I know it's not what you wanted to hear." Kaiden turned to face her and gave her a shy little smile.

"No it's not…but at least I was able to get what I wanted to say out there," he paused, looked away and then asked, "Just think about what I said, okay?"

"Okay," Shepard answered.

Kaiden nodded and rose from the bench he'd been leaning against. Slowly he left the shuttle bay. Shepard stared after him wondering about his behavior and what had triggered it. She distantly wondered if Jillian Wickers' arrival hadn't triggered his abrupt confession to her.

Feeling stressed, Shepard turned back to her bench and damaged breast plate. Just as she was about to sit back down and begin work the elevator doors to the shuttle bay opened again and Jillian Wickers walked in. Shepard sighed in frustration; of all the people that could've come down to talk to her, it had to be _her_.

"Commander Shepard," Wickers paused outside the elevator and saluted her briefly. Shepard saluted back and watched as Wickers approached her.

"Can I help you?" Shepard asked.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier; don't know what got into me," Wickers explained.

"It's fine, let's just make sure it doesn't happen again," Shepard responded and waved her hand in the air as if to demonstrate how little it meant to her.

For a moment there was silence between both Shepard and Wickers. For Shepard the silence was golden, meaning that Wickers would leave soon; for Wickers it was time to plan her next move.

"I just couldn't resist asking for Garrus's help with sniping. I'm not bad myself, but not as good as he is," Wickers remarked with a sly look in her eyes. Shepard ignored Wickers attempt to trigger her temper.

"He is very good at what he does," Shepard murmured as she turned back to her chest plate, hoping her disinterest would throw Wickers off enough that she would leave.

"I'm sure he is…perhaps that's why you chose him over Kaiden?" Wickers proposed. Shepard stopped what she'd been doing and turned her head to face Wickers.

"Excuse me?" She asked, not liking where Wickers was heading with this line of questioning.

"Well maybe that's why you gave up on Kaiden; can't really blame him for ditching you when you were paired up with Cerberus. But Garrus, well he was willing to take you no matter who you were involved with," Wickers observed with a snide little smile on her face.

Shepard was about to respond when Wickers spoke again, causing Shepard's words to freeze in her mouth.

"He's a turian, they're more daring than humans I suppose. Do you think that's what drew you to him or were you just trying to find the first person who was willing to take you as you were; a dead Spectre rebuilt by Cerberus to be their little play thing; the Illusive Man's bitch? I'm going to bet on the latter," Wickers sneered; her lips were pulled up into an arrogant little smile.

Shepard felt her blood boil at Wickers comment and it was at that moment that she knew she wouldn't be able to control her temper much longer. She could handle a lot of things, but when a smarty pants little brat got in her face and started throwing insults at her, she was liable to lose her cool.

"Get out of here before I break your arm," Shepard demanded angrily. She started to glow a brilliant blue as her biotics threatened to come to life; ready to unleash hell at a moment's notice.

Surprisingly, Wickers didn't back down, but rose to her full height and stood her ground. She said, "What can't take the truth? Maybe I hit a little too close to home? I wonder how the turian would feel if I brought this up to him." She smiled triumphantly before Shepard.

"_I said get out," _Shepard snarled, her fist clenching at her side. She could feel biotic energy coiling inside her, threatening to be unleashed.

"Can't hold good on your threat? All talk but not bite?" Wickers taunted. Shepard could contain herself no longer.

Her fist glowing a brilliant blue, Shepard hooked her right arm forward and thrust it into Wickers face. Wickers screamed and flew back several feet, well into the shuttle bay. She landed in a heap and was motionless for a moment and for a split second Shepard thought she might've accidentally killed her. She was fairly certain though that she hadn't used enough force to kill Wickers.

Sure enough, Wickers slowly sat up and even more slowly, rose a few minutes later. Shepard breathed a quick sigh of relief.

"Now get the hell out of here. And in the future, leave Garrus alone; hell, leave my whole fucking crew alone. Don't talk to me unless it's an emergency; don't talk to any of my permanent crew unless you absolutely _have to_," Shepard growled angrily at Wickers.

Wickers stumbled toward the elevators and replied, "Yes ma'am." Slowly she boarded the elevator and was finally out of Shepard's sight.

"What a bitch," Shepard muttered to herself and sat back down to hopefully finish her breast plate.

Meanwhile, in the elevator Jillian Wickers stood, her body aching from the biotic force of Shepard's punch, but her mind was clear. She tried to straighten, but it was too early for that, her body would need more time to recuperate. Instead she leaned against the elevator wall and smiled to herself; things were going as planned.


	17. Chapter 17 A Time to Confess

**A/N: **So we're kicking things off pretty fast from here on out! No cliffhangers...yet. Once again I apologize for the later update, Game of Thrones will do that to you. That show is really annoying sometimes, and honestly, why one earth doesn't someone just poison Joffrey? He's such an annoying little twit...sorry I'm getting off topic again and yapping away. I need to work on that. Anyway, enjoy the chapter; thank you for all the comments, they are always wonderful to read. Read and enjoy and as always leave a comment please! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

* * *

Seventeen: A Time to Confess

The alarm buzzed a few times before Shepard slapped at it for the third time. It had gone off two times already but Shepard still felt too tired to rise; she'd been up late. She groaned and rolled away from the alarm, covering her face with one of her pillows.

"You know, it's just going to go off again Shepard," Garrus purred from the chair beside Shepard's bed. Shepard turned her head to look at him sprawled out in her desk chair reading something on a data pad. She wondered ideally if it was one of the turian romance novels Garrus had mentioned in previous conversations.

"I know, I know…but I'm still so tired. You kept me up too late last night," Shepard groaned irritably.

Across from her Garrus laughed. "Well you were the one who decided to you wanted to engage in contact sparring. Not my fault you weren't prepared for a fight without biotics."

Shepard rolled over to face him and gave him a playful but sleepy glare. "As I recall I got you good a few times. Wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Vakarian has a few bruises himself…and how on Earth are you even up now? You got at least as much sleep as I did," Shepard asked, exasperated.

"Turian stamina. Ever wonder why they say, once you go turian you never go back?" Garrus asked with a smirk.

"I thought it was once you go krogan," Shepard muttered and slowly sat up in her bed. The blue glow from her fish tank made her want to go back to sleep.

"Come on Shepard, let's get the day going so we can have round two tonight," Garrus encouraged with a sly glimmer in his eyes.

"If we have round two, then I'll be winning tonight," Shepard proclaimed and rose from her bed. She stretched, feeling muscles pull tight and joints click. Garrus watched as Shepard continued to shake off the morning sleepies.

"Well, we'll see about that Commander," Garrus teased; he rose from his chair.

"Leaving already?" Shepard asked with an exaggerated sad expression on her face.

Garrus swept Shepard into his arms and purred into her ear, "Well you know that I haven't calibrated anything in the Main Battery recently. Normandy's main gun is crying out for my touch!"

Shepard laughed in his embrace and pulled away slightly to give him a mock serious expression. "Always fixated on those guns eh, Garrus?"

"Well the Normandy's guns are one of my passions, but then again so are yours," Garrus paused to give Shepard a suggestive wink and then continued. "The Normandy's guns miss my expertise, and I've been putting my time into the Citadel these last few days, so yeah, it's time the Main Battery and I get reacquainted," Garrus replied, his expression the picture of innocence.

"Right…well off you go then, I need to get dressed anyway. I'll try to stop in later though," Shepard explained and smiled at him.

Garrus pressed his mouth to her lips in a brief goodbye kiss and then left her cabin. Shepard watched him leave and smiled. Garrus was cool as a cucumber, and had a wonderful sense of humor. Even when they had been in the hardest parts of the Reaper battle, he had managed to cheer her up. Shepard gave a little sigh and walked over to her tiny bathroom to take her shower and begin her morning preparations.

It had been four days since Shepard had last had an unpleasant run in with Lieutenant Jillian Wickers, which she was glad for. While a part of her regretted their confrontation, another part of her was glad that it had happened because it had put a stop to Jillian's flirting with Garrus and her incessant need to distract Shepard from her tasks. Shepard had only seen Wickers a few times in the four days that had passed and it had only been in passing. It seemed that Jillian Wickers had accepted her place and had finally stopped challenging Shepard's authority.

Liara had recently informed Shepard that Feron was to arrive on the Normandy in a day or two. Shepard had been glad to hear this since Liara had mostly kept to herself in the time since she returned to the Normandy. While she wasn't as aloof as she had been, she was still acting incredibly private and was keeping to herself. Shepard didn't feel the need to push her, so she left Liara to her own devices. Feron's arrival would hopefully bring Liara out of her shell and return her to her old self.

Specialist Traynor had returned to the Normandy, which was a nice change. Whenever Shepard went up to the CIC now she had Traynor there telling her what was what and who wanted to see her. While Traynor's excessive level of insecurity did grate Shepard's nerves sometimes, she was glad to have her back; Traynor was very good at what she did if not a little annoying.

The asari councilor was scheduled to arrive on the Normandy today, which was the only big thing Shepard needed to oversee. The asari councilor, like Hackett, wanted to see how the Citadel was coming along and had made arrangements to visit the Citadel via the Normandy later on that same day. Shepard expected she would meet with the councilor for a little while and discuss the current status of the Citadel; where it was going, how things were coming along, and how long things might take to finish it. Sometime after the asari's arrival, Shepard knew that she'd be assigning Kaiden or James to escort the councilor onto the Citadel to take her through the completely functional areas.

Except for the Traynor's joining the Normandy and the asari councilors impending arrival, there wasn't that much going on. The Citadel was continuing to make progress in terms of repair; more and more individuals continued filtering through the Normandy to start helping put the Citadel back together. It seemed that the farther away everyone got from the Reaper wars, the better things were.

Shepard stepped out of her bathroom a little while later dressed in her black Alliance attire and started heading in the direction of the CIC. She expected she'd probably need to get some updates from Traynor and check in on things with Joker and EDI. As Shepard stepped out of the elevators and onto the CIC, Traynor was indeed at her post and as expected turned around to greet Shepard and say something to her.

"Commander, you have unread messages at your terminal, and Liara would like to speak to you when you have a moment," Traynor reported with a smile.

"Thanks Traynor; it's good to have you back," Shepard replied and gave Traynor a pat on the shoulder as she walked over to her terminal.

"I'm glad to be back onboard the Normandy, Commander. I missed everyone here…and EDI's voice," Traynor paused and blushed as if EDI's physical body was standing right next to her. "Sorry EDI, I just find your voice very alluring."

"It is alright; Jeff tells me that when someone gives me a compliment I should be flattered. So thank you," EDI stated from overhead.

"She hears everything," Traynor said with a little smile. Shepard nodded and turned to her private terminal to see who had sent her messages.

Shepard opened up her terminal and found that Hackett had sent her a message. She opened it up.

**From: Admiral Hackett**

**Subject: Update on ship destruction investigation**

**Shepard, I wanted to let you know that the Alliance and the quarians have finished their investigation into the destruction of the Arden. The Alliance has determined from what little evidence we could scrape together that there is a high likelihood that foul play was involved. The quarians have sent us the manifest from the ship and there were no humans listed; so whoever the man was that attacked Tali, he was most likely a stowaway. The quarians were able to determine that the ships system had been infected with a computer virus, which opened its systems up to further corruption. The Alliance did some investigation into the pathogen that Dr. Chakwas cultured from Tali'Zorah's infection, and I've been informed that it's a very old pathogen that was specifically engineered by the geth a long time ago to target the quarians. Apparently it is a very difficult agent to get your hands on, so whoever managed to extract the pathogen was either an amazing thief or had high level access in some branch of government. Anyway Shepard, I wanted to update you on that. Keep an eye out and I hope the extra Alliance ships and officer Wickers are doing their job. Be safe.**

Shepard closed the file and moved away from her terminal and started walking toward the bridge where Joker and EDI would be. As she walked in the bridges direction she thought about Hackett's message. It wasn't anything she hadn't expected; she'd gotten pretty much the exact same information out of the man she'd found on the Arden. She hadn't been surprised by much of what Hackett had said, but was concerned that whoever this man had been, he'd been able to get his hands on a very rare geth pathogen engineered specifically to infect quarians. That was the main thing that made Shepard concerned…but then again if this was Reaper influence then how unlikely was it that the Reapers had something like that floating around? They after all, had controlled the heretic geth before, so it didn't seem all that unlikely that some kind of Reaper organism would have access to that kind of thing.

Shepard walked into the Bridge and overheard the end of a conversation EDI and Joker were having.

"Jeff I don't think that is an accurate observation," EDI stated in response to something Joker had said.

"Come on EDI, I think it's kind of obvious…she's obviously hiding _something_. Why else would she be locked down in her little room all day long? I mean, she's gotta come up for air sometime. And yeah, I know, she's a dedicated little worker bee, but her behavior has been off lately," Joker shot back at EDI.

"While Liara's behavior may have been different, I don't have sufficient evidence to suggest that she is _hiding something. _She is the Shadow Broker, Jeff; it makes sense for her to spend large amounts of her time in privacy," EDI logically pointed out.

"Well, I—Commander! Glad you came by; something I can do for you?" Joker asked, a little embarrassed he'd been caught gossiping about one of Shepard's closer friends.

"I was wondering if we have any information on when the asari councilor will be arriving? I'd kind of like to get that over with sooner than later," Shepard asked and sighed, thinking about debriefing the asari councilor. She was getting tired of explaining the Citadel's ups and downs.

"Yeah…she's scheduled to dock with the Normandy soon. I'll buzz you on your comm when she arrives and I'll get Kaiden or someone to escort her into the briefing room," Joker replied.

"Sounds good…now I've got to go talk to Liara. Probably shouldn't mention how you think she's acting strange; she might get offended!" Shepard teased.

"Probably a good idea," Joker murmured and turned back to his console. Shepard smiled and left the Bridge to head down to the crew deck.

After a short ride in the elevator, Shepard arrived on the crew deck and was headed in the direction of Liara's quarters when Gabby and Ken called to her from the kitchen area.

"Shepard! Got a minute? We've got something exciting to tell you?" Gabby called with a bright smile on her face.

Shepard paused a few feet from Liara's door and nodded at them and headed in their direction. As she walked up to them she noticed that Gabby seemed to be glowing with joy, and Shepard briefly wondered if she was seeing the glow of pregnancy. _Nah, _Shepard thought to herself.

"What's up?" Shepard asked and leaned against the kitchen counter eyeing Gabby and Ken. Both of the engineers seemed a little more than excited.

"You should probably tell her, Gabby…it's a woman thing after all," Ken remarked in his charming Scottish accent.

Gabby looked at Shepard with a wide grin. "Ken and I are dating. I don't know if anyone was expecting it, but it just sort of happened and we are now officially a couple."

"Thought it was probably a good idea to start working on a relationship, since things seem to have finally calmed down. After all we work together all the time and know each other so well…getting together just seemed like the logical choice, Commander," Ken explained in a more relaxed manner.

"Wow…well I can't say I'm that surprised, but congratulations!" Shepard finally said and smiled at the two. Honestly she was surprised it had taken this long for the two to get involved. It was obvious that they were kind of made for each other. After spending years working together on Engineering and having playful banter with each other constantly, their current relationship seemed too long in coming. It was about time.

"You aren't surprised?" Gabby asked in surprise.

"No, I think everyone who knows you two has been thinking you should be together for a long time now," Shepard explained.

"I wasn't aware of that," Ken remarked and seemed to become lost in thought.

"I'm not surprised about that Ken, you are easily distracted," Gabby observed.

"That's not fair," Ken began. Shepard was enjoying listening to them when her comm suddenly buzzed.

"Commander, the asari councilor has just boarded the Normandy. I've got James meeting her at security and he'll escort her up to the war room. You wanna swing by?" Joker asked.

"I'm on my way," Shepard replied and turned back to Gabby and Ken. She was about to say congratulations and goodbye to the couple, but realized that she wasn't likely to get a word in since the two were still arguing about Ken being easily distracted.

Smiling at their banter, Shepard headed back towards the elevator that would take her up to the CIC and the war room.

After a short ride in the elevator and a walk through the CIC, Shepard waited in the war room for the councilor to arrive. It was only a few moments later that James walked in with the asari councilor in tow. Shepard gave the councilor a quick once over glance and saw that she looked no different from the last time Shepard had seen her. Well that at least that meant that she hadn't seen that difficult of times during the Reaper assault; Shepard wondered if the other councilors had fared as well.

"Councilor," Shepard stood up and greeted the asari.

"Commander Shepard, it's good to see you alive and in one piece," the asari councilor commented and took a seat in front of Shepard's standing form. Shepard nodded to James to leave and then sat as well.

"How have things on Thessia been going?" Shepard asked, making small talk.

"They are going well. Thessia has been damaged but not destroyed; we will rise from the ashes," the councilor remarked.

"How are the other councilors?" Shepard asked curiously.

"I believe they are doing well. The last I spoke to the turian councilor, he was headed back to Palaven to help the relief effort. I haven't heard recently from the salarian councilor," the councilor explained.

"Well I hope they are all doing well. I'm glad to hear that Thessia sounds like it will be okay. Earth is in a similar position I suppose, although I haven't been back down to see it in months. The Citadel has occupied most of my time," Shepard explained and at that moment felt great nostalgia to return to Earth and feel sand beneath her feet.

"I'm sure you'll return there in time…now, how is progress coming with the Citadel?" the asari councilor asked.

"It's going as expected. I've gotten a lot of aid from the Alliance and it seems that the farther we get out from the Reaper war the more help comes rolling in," Shepard remarked and smiled at the large effort that had filtered into the Citadel in recent days. It seemed Hackett's idea of restoring the Citadel to what it had been in a demonstration of galactic hope was a good idea after all.

"I haven't really spoken with many others who oversee your work, just a few contacts here and there that are working on the Citadel. The word is that you are putting the Citadel back together at an impressive rate; if that's true well then congratulations Commander. Perhaps soon we can all return to life as it was before the Reaper invasion," the councilor mused with a sly little smile.

"We've managed to fully repair—" Shepard stopped in her sentence as Kaiden suddenly came into her view. Apparently Kaiden had snuck his way into the war room and was now hovering outside the door.

Apologetically nodding, Shepard stood up and said, "Would you excuse me councilor? I've got to talk to Major Alenko briefly." Shepard walked out of the war room and slid the glass door shut behind her.

"Shepard," Kaiden greeted. His voice wasn't its usual soft tone, but instead held an edge of frustration to it.

"Kaiden I'm kind of in the middle of getting the asari councilor up to date on the Citadel," Shepard explained and gave Kaiden an imploring look.

"I'm sorry Shepard but this couldn't wait," Kaiden paused and looked down briefly before he met Shepard's gaze again. "Have you thought about what I said the other day in the shuttle bay?"

Shepard sighed and recalled their interaction a few days before. He wanted her to think about her feelings for him; she didn't need to, she wanted to be his friend and nothing more.

"Kaiden I told you, I'm your friend…we were more once, but that's not now. I care about you as a _friend_. I'm sorry…but really, this isn't a good time to be having this discussion," Shepard explained slowly.

For a few minutes Kaiden was silent, only looking down at his feet as if trying to decide what to say. Eventually he did look up and said, "Well I hope you change your mind."

"Kaiden—" Shepard began only to have her comm buzz again. "Dammit, not again!" Shepard growled and answered the comm.

"Sorry to interrupt Commander, but Liara has asked me to request your presence in her quarters. She says she has an urgent matter to discuss with you," Traynor's voice buzzed through Shepard's comm.

"Can it wait?" Shepard asked, hoping that she'd be able to complete at least one thing today.

"She said it was urgent, Commander," Traynor stated.

"Fine. Tell her I'm on my way," Shepard sighed in exasperation. She looked back at the asari councilor who sat patiently waiting for her. Shepard looked back to Kaiden and then an idea struck her.

"Kaiden will you go fill in for me with the asari councilor and answer any questions she has?" Shepard asked eagerly, hoping she could get the councilor taken care of while she talked to Liara.

"Well I guess I could," Kaiden murmured.

"Come on Major Alelnko; you're a Spectre now, you can do it," Shepard encouraged him, hoping that her encouragement would make him forget their earlier conversation and boost his self-esteem.

"Okay Commander…I'll do it, for you," Kaiden said and moved past Shepard and into the briefing room. Shepard watched him for a moment as he took a seat across the asari and began talking about something. As soon as she saw the asari councilor start to continue the conversation, Shepard left the war room and went back through the CIC and to the elevator to get to the crew deck.

A short elevator ride later, Shepard was once again heading for Liara's quarters when another interruption obstructed her path. Garrus stood just outside the Main Battery and was calling to her. Shepard reluctantly walked over to Garrus. While she wanted to take care of whatever it was that Liara wanted, she was more inclined to give Garrus priority.

"Shepard, you wanna come take a look at this? I've got some interesting readings on the Normandy's guns," Garrus called to Shepard.

Shepard walked up the stairs leading to the Main Battery and followed Garrus inside. Once inside Garrus wasted no time in relaying a few numbers to her that had to do with the Normandy's weapons.

"Okay…sadly, I'm not the calibrating expert here. What do those numbers mean?" Shepard asked.

"It means that the targeting system I calibrated just before I last left the Normandy for Palaven has been totally reconfigured. I certainly didn't do that and I don't know who would. See, if we were to try to fire the cannon with this configuration we wouldn't even be on target," Garrus explained.

"So you're saying that someone came in here and reconfigured the weapons so that if in the event we had to use them they wouldn't fire at the assigned target?" Shepard clarified.

"Exactly," Garrus said, a pleased expression on his face.

"So who do you think did this? And why?"

"Well it could just be an error by someone who doesn't know how to properly calibrate a gun…or it could be someone intentionally throwing off our systems. Considering what happened to Tali's ship, I wouldn't be surprised," Garrus stated in all seriousness.

Shepard sighed, not liking what she was hearing. Why would someone intentionally screw up the weapons? The only reason Shepard could think of was that someone wanted to sabotage the Normandy. A part of her feared that this little discovery was in relation to Tali's saboteur's message of, 'we are coming for you.'

"Can you fix it?" Shepard asked.

"Not a problem; it'll take a little while, but I can calibrate this baby back to where she's supposed to be," replied Garrus as he turned to face the rest of the Main Battery.

"Alright…keep me posted," Shepard turned to leave and then paused and said, "and if this keeps you up late so that we can't spar, well I'm going to consider that an automatic lose." She smiled playfully at him.

"Oh, you're on. This gun will be calibrated perfectly by the time you and I are ready to go toe to toe tonight," Garrus responded with a smirk. Shepard gave him a wink and exited the Main Battery.

Shepard left the Main Battery and turned towards Liara's quarters when Jill Wickers suddenly walked into her path, cutting her off. Shepard gave a frustrated sigh. It seemed like everyone was going to stop her from completing just one task today.

"Commander," Jill saluted and then continued. "I've found something very peculiar in the shuttle bay that I think you should look at."

"What?" Shepard asked, perplexed.

Wickers looked at her with all sincerity and replied, "I was doing my rounds down on the shuttle bay and I found something that looked suspicious around the transport shuttle. From what I could tell it looked like someone had been tampering with the fuel line."

"Have you talked to Cortez about this?" Shepard questioned wondering if Cortez was aware of Jill's supposed claims.

"I tried, but he's on the Citadel and his comm isn't working…I think you and I should go check it out," Jill suggested.

Shepard mentally calculated how long it would take to get down to the shuttle bay and examine the shuttle transport. If there wasn't truly an issue it wouldn't take long and she could return to the crew deck to talk with Liara in a short while.

"Alright, let's go; hopefully there isn't actually anything wrong," Shepard hoped and started heading out with Wickers. Just as the two got to the elevator Shepard's comm buzzed for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Commander, Kaiden is saying that the asari councilor wants to speak with you specifically. He wants you to get your ass back up here," Joker stated via Shepard's comm.

"Dammit! Can I get nothing done today?" Shepard growled and turned to Wickers. "Go on down to the shuttle bay; I'll meet you there in a bit." Wickers nodded and got onto the elevator.

"Joker tell him I'll be there shortly," Shepard replied and rubbed her temples. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone?

"Shepard…do you have a few minutes to talk?" Called a soft voice from behind her. Shepard turned around and saw Liara standing a few feet away from her. She looked timid and nervous which concerned Shepard.

"I know Liara, and I'm sorry I haven't been able to get to you sooner, but everyone seems to need me for something today," Shepard explained apologetically.

"It's important Shepard; we really need to talk," Liara urged and looked desperately at Shepard.

"I know, and we will I promise…but first I need to deal with the asari councilor and that Alliance woman Wickers," Shepard pointed out and started for the elevator.

"Shepard they can wait! Take a moment to just sit back and listen to what I have to say. Tell the asari councilor she can wait and tell Jillian Wickers she can do whatever it is she needs your help with to do it by herself _We need to talk," _Liara exclaimed, raising her voice.

Shepard stopped and turned back to Liara. She was visibly flustered, something Shepard rarely saw. After thinking about it for a few minutes Shepard decided she would do what Liara asked; they would talk.

"Joker, tell Kaiden to buy some more time with the councilor; I'm going to be busy for a little while," Shepard said into her comm and then switched it off. Liara looked relieved and started to head toward her quarters; Shepard followed.

Once the two were in the privacy of Liara's quarters there was silence. Liara stood awkwardly before Shepard as if she deciding what it was exactly that she wanted to discuss with Shepard.

"Okay Liara; I'm here, what's on your mind?" Shepard asked and stood expectantly before Liara.

Liara continued to stand in silence. She turned away and faced the monitors she had mounted on the wall for a few minutes before she finally found her voice.

"Shepard…it's time I be honest with you; it's time that I confess what is really going on."


	18. Chapter 18 Secret's Revealed

**A/N: **Chapter 18...woot woot! Well, be prepared for some...shall we say unexpected stuff in this chapter? I don't know if anyone will be like, "oh wow that's awesome!" But in truth I've been planning this since before I even published it to the web, so it wasn't just a sudden idea...if any of what I just said made sense. Ohh! To my fellow nerds out there: Diablo 3 just came out, how cool is that? Very in my opinion...although I prefer to watch my kid sister play it then actually play it myself. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Thank you for all the review so far, I do so enjoy getting and reading them! So, read, enjoy, and please comment!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

* * *

Eighteen: Secrets Revealed

Shepard stared at Liara wondering what exactly it was she was going to confess to her. Hadn't the two cleared up any problems they'd had? What could Liara be hiding from Shepard that required such great secrecy?

"Confess to me? What are you confessing Liara?" Shepard asked her face twisted in confusion.

Liara turned back to Shepard and met her friend's confused blue eyes. "I did something that you may not agree with. Actually, I'm certain you won't agree with it…but Feron convinced me to tell you and he's right; I have to tell you." Liara paced in front of Shepard as if she was having a conversation with herself.

"I'm just confused now Liara," Shepard admitted and rubbed her temples.

"You have to understand, I did this because I thought there was no other way; I thought I would lose you forever," Liara continued.

"What?" Shepard asked and paused to stare at Liara; nothing she said made sense. "I don't understand what you're talking about. _What did you do?" _

Liara stopped in her pacing and looked at Shepard again, her eyes filled with insecurity. "I promised him I would tell you before he arrived…and now he's going to be here in a matter of days…so I'm going to tell you. Just…well, please Shepard, listen to what I have to say and please don't be too angry with me." Liara's voice was soft and she lowered her eyes.

"How can I be angry with you when I don't have any idea what you're even talking about?" Shepard asked throwing her arms up in confusion and frustration.

Slowly, Liara began to speak. "Do you remember our goodbye on Earth before your final push to the Citadel?"

"Yes," Shepard replied recalling their goodbye.

"I said I had a present for you…something friends share with each other…bond mates also share a similar sort of experience, just a bit more intimate," Liara explained, her eyes still downcast.

"Yes I remember…you showed me something that reminded me of the stars; it was lovely," Shepard remembered.

"There was more to it, Shepard. I needed to ensure that I could keep a part of you; that a part of you could live on…if you died," Liara whispered.

Shepard was quiet, not exactly sure where Liara was going with this, but worried about the general direction the conversation was heading. What had Liara done to ensure that a part of her would live on?

"What did you do Liara?" Shepard asked nervously, her own voice quiet and serious.

"You have to understand; I thought for certain that you were going to die. The Reapers were an insurmountable enemy, one that I couldn't fathom actually being defeated without at last claiming your life in the process. I lost you once and I refused to lose you again, not when I had the chance to save a piece of you," Liara explained.

"Just tell me what you did," Shepard responded.

Liara was silent for several minutes; her eyes locked on the bottom of her colorful, loose dress. She placed both hands on her abdomen and closed her eyes as if in deep thought. Shepard watched the movement of Liara's hands and was suddenly hit with an alarming thought.

"_What did you do?" _

"I saved a part of you; a part that would grow up to carry on your legacy. I bonded with you during our goodbye; I used that bonding to create _your child_; I'm pregnant," Liara confessed and finally looked up at Shepard her eyes full of guilt but also joy.

Shepard stared at Liara, her mouth hanging open. Words seemed to flee from her mind and her voice evaporated in her throat. Thought seemed to be beyond Shepard at that moment as she continued to stare open mouthed at her friend; her _pregnant _friend. Finally a few random thoughts managed to pierce Shepard's shock and her voice returned.

"You're pregnant?" Shepard repeated and blinked a few times before continuing. "You're pregnant….with _my, OUR_ baby? You mated with me when you said goodbye to me? ARE YOU INSANE?" Shepard half shouted the words at Liara. She couldn't seem to wrap her head around the idea of Liara creating a child with her, _against _her will!

"Shepard please…you have to understand, I thought you weren't going to come back. It was all I could do to make sure a piece of you lived on. You deserve to have your legacy carried on, and I couldn't bear to lose you again, so yes I took drastic action…but I don't regret it," Liara explained her voice soft and soothing, but that didn't seem to affect Shepard since she was anything but soothed.

"You didn't even ask me! You just decided to _rape _my genes and have a baby with me without even running the idea past me…did you even consider what I would think of this? Or even better, what Garrus would think of this? If anyone should be having a baby, it should me and it should be _our baby, meaning his and mine_, not _yours and mine_!" Shepard yelled feeling a great wave of nausea wash over her as she thought of Garrus. What would Garrus think of this? He'd probably never speak to Liara again if he learned of what she'd done! Would he even believe Shepard when she tried to explain that she hadn't known what Liara was doing?

Liara looked down shamefully and replied, "I'm sorry Shepard…I know I should've told you what I was doing, but I couldn't. I knew you would reject me, so I did it without your permission…but it's hardly _raping _your genes. I'm offended that you would even use that term," Liara stated and looked back to Shepard with a slightly hurt expression.

"Well then, what word would you use? Because in human society, we use the word 'rape' to describe when someone is _forced _into an act against their will!" Shepard shouted angrily. She turned away from Liara and put her head in her hands as she struggled with what she should do.

"Shepard it is hardly rape; rape implies forced sexual contact, and I did not force you into a sexual act," Liara retorted still obviously disturbed by Shepard's accusation.

"Fine, let's call it violation; _you violated me!" _Shepard snapped in response and whirled around to face Liara.

Liara took a step back and looked away from Shepard with a sad expression. "I love you Shepard; I've loved you since I got to know you on the first Normandy…I know you chose Kaiden over me, and you're with Garrus now, but regardless of that I _still love you_ and some part of me will _always _love you. It's because I love you that I couldn't let you die; I couldn't bear the thought of losing you again, not when I could make sure that a part of you lived on."

Once again Shepard's voice failed her. She knew that Liara had grown attached to her on the first Normandy, and that she had wanted to pursue some kind of relationship with her then…but Shepard had been more interested in Kaiden at that point. While she and Liara had remained close even after Shepard's rejection of her, Shepard had assumed that Liara had moved on. She knew that Liara cared for her greatly, but always assumed that whatever feelings she had had for her had dissipated and faded. With Liara's confession though, Shepard was forced to rethink Liara's past behavior during their interactions.

"I know you love Garrus…and I cannot apologize more for making this decision without you, but I _needed _to do it," Liara paused and turned her gaze back to Shepard. "I don't expect you to love me in return or leave Garrus and confess some hidden undying love for me…I don't even expect you to be there for our…my, daughter…but you needed to know."

Finally Shepard found her voice. "Liara I had no idea you were…are…still in love with me. I guess maybe some part of me considered it a possibility, but honestly I thought you had moved on. When I helped you take down the Shadow Broker and rescue Feron, I assumed you had formed some kind of relationship with him. With your continued contact with him I just sort of imagined you two were together," Shepard admitted.

"Feron has been there for me through everything…and when I was on Thessia I told him what was going on. I needed to tell someone, and believe me when I say I wanted to tell you…but I was afraid of your response and Feron was there, so I told him. He is actually the one who made me promise to confess the truth to you," Liara explained and sat down in one of the chairs she had stashed around the room.

"Liara I don't really know how to respond to this…I'm angry, confused, and honestly a little frightened. I thought asari couldn't even reproduce until they were Matrons anyway," Shepard remarked.

"Actually no; when an asari enters the Maiden phase, she is technically mature and fully capable of reproducing. We just don't typically get the desire or urge to do so until we reach the Matron phase. I didn't necessarily have the urge to procreate, but I knew I was capable and I knew I wanted to have a child with you if I was able; so I did what I did," Liara explained quietly.

"Wish I'd known that before," Shepard said to herself and took a seat in another one of Liara's chairs.

"I know I violated your trust, and I hope you can find forgiveness for me one day, but by the goddess I wasn't going to lose you again. This allowed me to save at least some part of you; to hold onto you," Liara confessed and once again put her hands on her abdomen in a loving gesture.

"I wish you had told me or at least let me know what was going on…or how you still felt about me," Shepard lamented as she watched her asari friend continue to gaze down at her abdomen in a very motherly way. To Shepard, Liara didn't look pregnant at all.

"I didn't want to upset you; I knew you wanted to be with Kaiden and then Garrus came into your life; there wasn't room for me. I was content to love you in silence," Liara remarked and looked up at Shepard.

Shepard shook her head not liking the idea of Liara loving her in silence. Why hadn't Liara just moved on? She shouldn't have to love someone in silence.

"Liara you should've moved on…loving me in silence, is just…awful, torturing yourself. You should've told me to leave you alone. I can only imagine what that must've felt like," Shepard's voice trailed off as she suddenly felt guilty. She had always managed to pop back into Liara's life like a bad smell, reiterating what Liara couldn't have. Liara had supported Shepard's romantic pursuit of Garrus without question even though all the while she would've been suffering in silence because she cared for Shepard. Shepard felt guilty.

As if sensing the guilt Shepard was feeling, Liara said, "Don't feel guilty Shepard; you made your feelings clear, I was the one who continued to love you despite what you had made evident. This isn't your fault and you don't owe me anything."

"So…what do we do now? When are you due…what do I tell Garrus…?" Shepard asked and dreaded the thought of explaining all of this to him.

"I continue on with life normally, just with an added passenger. As for when I'm due, well asari pregnancies typically last about a year and a half and I'm about seven months along; almost to the half-way point," Liara explained. Shepard thought that that was probably why Liara didn't _look _pregnant. As far as Shepard could tell, Liara still looked like her usual self; lean and fit.

"But…what do we do?" Shepard pressed feeling concerned for the future.

"You don't have to do anything Shepard; this baby is mine, and while you are technically the 'father' I don't expect you to act as such. I would love for you to be in our daughter's life, but you can avoid that all together if you'd like. Feron and I have discussed that we will claim him as the official father. As for whom you choose to tell this too…that's up to you. I wouldn't suggest telling very many people, since its best that this probably be kept fairly private," Liara replied.

Shepard was silent for several minutes, not sure how she should respond. Liara was giving her a free pass, which she was glad for since she hadn't been given a choice in the matter. However, while she felt certain she didn't want to act as the 'father' she thought she might like to at least be slightly involved in the child's life; perhaps as Auntie Shepard.

"Liara I don't really know what I want to be to your, our, child; I don't want to be the 'father' figure…Feron is probably much better suited for that since I didn't even know you'd done this until just now. I think I'd like to be there though, maybe in some other capacity, like an Aunt," Shepard said slowly, trying to organize her thoughts into words.

"It would be lovely to have you present in her life. I don't expect you to be her 'father', but I want you to know that she will know that it was _you _who contributed to her genetic makeup; you were my partner…even if it was without your knowledge," Liara explained.

"Well I guess that's your right as her mother," Shepard murmured in response.

"What will you tell Garrus?" Liara asked cautiously.

Shepard was quiet for several minutes as she thought about that. She fully intended to tell Garrus but she couldn't be sure of his reaction. Would he believe that she had no knowledge of Liara's pregnancy? He knew that Liara had had a thing for her on the first Normandy, but given the fact that Shepard had pursued Kaiden she felt like Garrus was more inclined to believe that Shepard had no knowledge of Liara's choice to conceive a child. Shepard was fearful of Garrus's reaction to Liara, however. It was likely that he would be angry that Liara willingly deceived and violated Shepard's trust by conceiving a child without Shepard's knowledge. He would also probably be angry because it was Liara and Shepard's child, _not _Garrus and Shepard's, and if anyone was having a baby, it should be them…even if that wasn't biologically possible.

"I don't know…I think I'll just tell him what you told me. Don't be surprised if he refuses to talk to you for a few years though," Shepard responded and rose from her chair, ready to vacate Liara's quarters. She needed time to think over her own feelings on the matter and to discuss things with Garrus.

"As long as he continues to love you, I don't think you should concern yourself with him being angry at me. That will be between Garrus and I," Liara stated and gave Shepard a reassuring look.

"Well, we'll see I guess. I'll talk to you later Liara," Shepard said and left Liara's quarters. She was glad to be gone; she needed to get out of there and think about what hat just happened.

Shepard hovered outside of Liara's door for a while before she decided to head over to the Main Battery to talk to Garrus. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, or how she would say it. All that she knew was that she needed to tell Garrus what was happening. As Shepard made her way down the hall to the Main Battery though, she remembered she'd told Jill Wickers that she would meet her in the shuttle bay. Cursing to herself, she decided she would make her meeting with Garrus brief.

The doors whooshed open and Shepard stared at Garrus's backsides for quite a while before she could find the words she wanted. Garrus eventually turned around and eyed Shepard with concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he watched her continue to stand in the doorway in a semi-stupor.

"We need to talk about something," Shepard at last said.

"That doesn't sound good. What's on your mind?" Garrus asked and eyed her closely attempting to determine what emotion it was that danced in her eyes.

Shepard shook her head. "No, not right now; I've got to meet Wickers in the shuttle bay to look at something…I don't remember what, just that I said I'd meet her there," Shepard mumbled.

"Shepard…what's going on? I'm starting to get worried," Garrus asked and moved forward to pull Shepard's chin up so he could look at her closely. Shepard shook her head free and attempted to regain her composure.

"Liara told me something...surprising to say the least. Will you meet me in my cabin in ten minutes? I'll be up there as soon as I'm done in the shuttle bay with Wickers," Shepard asked, hoping that she looked more composed.

Garrus studied her for several minutes before responding. "Alright, I'll meet you in your cabin…but are you sure you're okay? Whatever she said must've been pretty disturbing."

"It's something I wasn't expecting...wasn't I was happy to hear; you won't like it either," Shepard said with a sigh. She gave Garrus a worried expression and then added, "Just remember that I love you."

"Shepard—" Garrus began but Shepard interrupted.

"I know; I'll explain as soon as I'm up in my cabin. Ten minutes and I'll see you there," Shepard said in a rush and then before Garrus could say anything else she darted out of the Main Battery.

Once outside the Main Battery, Shepard hurried her way over to the elevator. A few of the people staying on the Normandy seemed to eye her suspiciously as she passed, and she wondered if there was something on her face or if it was just her jerky movements that grabbed their attention.

The elevator arrived on the shuttle bay a few moments later and Shepard walked out looking for Wickers, hoping that their interaction would be short lived. She caught sight of her a moment later and to her surprise Traynor and Cortez were with her. The three were clustered around one of the transport shuttles and appeared to be chatting about something and enjoying themselves. Shepard left the elevator and for a moment contemplated just leaving but then Traynor caught sight of her.

"Commander Shepard! Glad to see you!" Specialist Traynor called with a smile.

"Hey Commander," Cortez greeted with a smile.

Jill moved forward and gave Shepard a casual smile. "Wondered when you'd get down here."

"Sorry…I was, uh, caught up," Shepard explained, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

Traynor took a step forward and said, "I was going to do inventory when I ran into Jill down here and she told me she'd thought she'd found something wrong with one of the shuttle's fuel lines. So I called Cortez and all three of us investigated it." Behind Traynor, Jill subtlety backed away from the group and pressed her hand to her ear and began mumbling something very quickly before returning to the group.

"Turns out it wasn't anything. Jill's omni took was damaged and misread damage on the fuel line," Cortez finished for Traynor and gave Jill a smile. "She was just being thorough."

"Well that's a relief," Shepard began but then heard the elevator doors whoosh open from behind her. She turned around and saw Kaiden and the asari councilor standing there. She smiled at them and was about to say something when she suddenly felt something sharp prick and burn her neck.

"Ouch," Shepard cried as her hand flew up in response to the burning sensation. Just as her hand made contact with the flesh of her neck however, she became aware of shouts of alarm from both Cortez and Traynor.

"Commander!" Traynor exclaimed from behind Shepard.

"What are you doing?" Cortez also yelled. Shepard began turning in their direction when out of the corner of her eye she saw movement from the councilor and Kaiden. A blast of biotic energy hurled into Kaiden, throwing him backwards. Shepard observed the situation with shock as she realized that it had been the asari councilor to launch the biotic blast at Kaiden.

"Kaiden!" Shepard cried and took a step forward only to feel her legs grow shaky and unsteady under her weight. Alarm flared in the pit of Shepard's stomach as she became aware of the fast spreading weakness that grew in her legs and the fog that was starting to cloud her mind. The stinging sensation she'd had in her neck…someone, probably Wickers, must have injected her with some kind of sedative. Horror bloomed in Shepard's heart at the realization that she'd been lured down into the shuttle bay only to be attacked.

Blinking to try to clear her mind, Shepard stumbled forward only to see and feel a biotic blast hurled into her chest and knock her backwards. Her mind swam with disorientation as she hit the floor; a gun fired nearby followed by a woman's scream. Shepard's mind and vision cleared for a moment and she could clearly see the asari councilor heading in her direction, still glowing blue from the biotic energy she had released. Shepard struggled on the floor but her body had grown heavy as if it was weighted down with lead. More gun shots filled Shepard's ears as the asari councilor scooped her up and began carrying her.

"Leave them! We have to hurry!" The asari councilor called to Jillian who was standing a ways in front of Shepard and the councilor. Jill had her gun aimed at Cortez, who was taking shelter behind one of the work benches. While it appeared that he had been involved in the gunshots Shepard had heard, it looked as if he'd been on the losing side. He was huddled in the corner of one of the benches and was clutching one of his arms as bright red blood spilled out between his fingers. Specialist Traynor lay silently on the floor a little ways in front of him; a bloody bullet wound in her head.

Shepard struggled against the asari, desperate to escape, but her mind continued to grow hazy and her body seemed to grow heavier by the second. Movements that hadn't required a second thought now seemed impossible. Shepard could barely turn her head without intense concentration on the movement. Shepard's comm began to buzz.

"Commander what's going on down there? Everything was fine like three minutes ago and then all the sudden EDI is reading biotic blasts and gun fire! What the hell is going on!" Joker's voice shouted from Shepard's comm. Shepard tried to respond, but her mouth wasn't working properly to form speech, and her body refused to obey anything she commanded.

"Shepard!" Cortez shouted from somewhere in the distance.

With great effort Shepard managed to mumble something she hoped Joker would hear. "Joker…need help."

"Don't talk Shepard, you'll waste your energy," the asari councilor scolded Shepard and gave her a little shake while still holding her.

"Just let me finish him!" Wickers shouted somewhere in front of them and aimed her gun at Cortez's crumpled figure.

"No; we're out of time. Hack the system and get on the transport before the human biotic comes after us," the asari commanded and carried Shepard toward one of the prepped shuttles in the bay. The councilor carried Shepard into the shuttle and gently placed Shepard down on the floor and then moved up to the head of the shuttle and began powering it up. Shepard overheard EDI's voice as the asari continued to fiddle with the ship.

"Stop what you are doing; I am aware of what you are attempting and will take drastic action to stop you if necessary," EDI's voice announced from inside the shuttle. The councilor seemed to ignore it.

Jillian Wickers hopped into the shuttle then and climbed over Shepard and headed to the front of the ship to join the asari councilor. Shepard still lay on the floor of the transport and managed to spot Kaiden quickly making his way over to the transport, gun in hand. He looked rattled and one of his legs didn't look like it was in the best shape, but he continued to move toward Shepard and her kidnappers as fast as he could. As he ran Shepard clearly saw him start to glow a dazzling blue and the part of her mind that wasn't completely lost to the foggy haze of confusion hoped that he would reach them in time and rescue her.

"Stop right there!" Kaiden shouted.

Hearing Kaiden's words, Shepard tried to shuffle toward the open door of the shuttle. If she could just get far enough she'd end up rolling out of the shuttle and Kaiden could grab her; all would be safe…she'd be rescued.

"We have to get out of here now," the asari councilor screeched from somewhere ahead of Shepard.

"Bugs in the system; we're good to go," Wickers stated from the pilot's chair. Shepard watched as the door to the shuttle closed as did her last glimpse of Kaiden's enraged expression; using the last bit of physical energy she had, she stretched out her hand in his direction as the door closed completely. She thought she heard gunfire and perhaps the blast of biotic power on the shuttle door, but she wasn't sure; her mind was slipping away from her.

"Go now!" The asari councilor screamed. The ship powered up but not before EDI's voice broke through.

"Power down your systems and surrender; I will take—" EDI's voice abruptly cut off. .

"Fucking AI," Jill sneered; the ship continued to power up and the sound of the Normandy's shuttle bay doors opening filled Shepard's ears.

"We have to reach the Mass Relay as soon as possible. The other ships shouldn't attack because of the bug in EDI's systems. It should take her at least fifteen minutes to clean it out; external communications will be jammed until then. We'll be through the relay by then," Jill remarked from the front of the ship.

"Just move," the asari councilor commanded.

On the floor, Shepard felt panic briefly seize her foggy mind; they had come for her, the human that had instructed Tali to deliver his message, had been telling the truth! Blackness took hold of Shepard then and she lost consciousness.

Back in the Normandy shuttle bay, Kaiden stared after the transport that had just made a hasty retreat off of the Normandy; with Shepard. He felt his stomach churn with nausea at the realization that Jillian Wickers and the asari councilor had just kidnapped his Commander.

"What the hell is going on Kaiden? EDI can't communicate with any outside ships! She's reporting some kind of bug in the systems and just told me there was an unauthorized shuttle launch!" Joker exclaimed from Kaiden's comm.

Kaiden was silent.

"Hello! What's going on!" Joker demanded angrily.

"Commander Shepard is gone; Wickers…the asari councilor…they kidnapped her," Kaiden said, not believing the words himself.

* * *

**F/N: **Liara is pregnant! With Shepard's baby! That's right...don't tell me nobody else thought her little goodbye 'gift' didn't seem weird. It was the first thing my sisters and I thought when we got to that part. We were like, really? Does that seem a little suspicious to you? Sorry about the cliffhanger...but it's the doorway into a fast fast ride. Until next time! :) Don't worry though, the next chapter's already written so the update won't be long in coming. :)


	19. Chapter 19 Stringing Together the Pieces

**A/N: **Sorry for the later update again. My dog just got back from being spayed today and she's been all gorked out and required maintenance. Tomorrow I may not be able to update since I'm going to be busy with something farily important, but I'll try to post the next chapter. Well I hope that everyone likes this chapter...as for my last chapter I'm sorry if not everyone was pleased with how that came out...sorry but that's the way this cookie is going to crumble. For those of you who were into it and were able to focus on the cliffhanger, aka the important part of the chapter, Shepard getting kidnapped, well then whoo hoo! Your mind is where it's supposed to be. If you weren't then that's okay too...just focus on the future from now on. It's like Game of Thrones, they keep killing people you don't want to die and the bad guys keep living, but you just roll with it and look to future episodes. Anyway, enjoy, thanks for the comments leave more please and most importantly have fun!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

* * *

Nineteen: Stringing Together the Pieces

The majority of the Normandy's crew was huddled in the war room around the table. Admiral Hackett stood at the head of the table, his expression full of worry and concern. Garrus Vakarian was standing to the Admiral's left and Kaiden Alenko on his right. There were others at the table as well including Liara T'Soni, Cortez, James Vega, and EDI's physical platform.

"Can you explain it once again Major Alenko…tell me what happened," Hackett asked leaning onto the table and looking seriously at the Major.

Kaiden looked down, not meeting Hackett's gaze. He felt responsible for Shepard's abduction although he had done everything in his power to recover her. As a result from the asari councilor's biotic blast, Kaiden had a sprained leg and displaced vertebral disc that would need medical intervention in the near future.

"I was with the asari councilor explaining our progress on the Citadel. Everything was fine when she got real antsy after someone messaged her on her comm; she started acting like she had a bug down her dress. She told me she needed to speak with Shepard directly; told me to take to her to wherever it was that Shepard was. So I got the Commander's location from Joker and took the councilor down to the shuttle bay," Kaiden explained remembering the unfortunate turn of events that followed.

"Do you know who it was that messaged the councilor?" Hackett asked.

"We all know who messaged the asari bitch. It was that damn Alliance woman of yours…Wickers!" Garrus snarled from across the table. He looked angrily at Hackett.

"Garrus is correct, Admiral. Once I regained control of all of the Normandy's systems I systematically went through all of the comm activity and I found that approximately five minutes before the councilor and Major Alenko's arrival into the shuttle bay, there was communication between Lieutenant Wickers and the councilor," EDI confirmed.

"Just shortly after Shepard arrived in the shuttle bay Wickers did kind sneak away from us," Cortez added.

"Alright…so it was Wickers for certain…continue Major," Hackett instructed.

"We got to the shuttle bay and Shepard turned to us…nothing looked out of the ordinary, but…" Kaiden's voice trailed off and he closed his eyes.

"The Commander was distracted when she saw that the councilor and Kaiden had arrived so she didn't see or expect Lieutenant Wickers to pull out some kind of syringe and stick it into her neck," Cortez finished for Kaiden; Cortez's arm was secured in a sling from the bullet wound he'd received from Wickers.

"Yeah…I saw Shepard's expression change, but honestly I never saw the Lieutenant pull out a syringe. All I know is that I watched Shepard swat at her neck and then felt biotic energy slam into me. I know it came from the councilor, because she was the only other one, well other than Shepard or myself, that was a biotic on the deck. She hit me with enough force that I flew backwards and everything went dark for a little while," Kaiden explained, a frown marring his forehead.

"It was around the same time the councilor blasted Kaiden, that Wickers opened up fire on Specialist Traynor and I; I moved faster than Trayno…she got caught in the cross fire," Cortez lamented.

"I became aware of the use of biotics and the discharge of weapons at this time and informed Jeff who attempted to contact the Commander and request that she intervene," EDI reported and looked at Admiral Hackett.

"But by that point it was too late; Shepard had whatever garbage Wickers had injected her with circulating in her system," Garrus growled from Hackett's side; he crossed his arms and gave Hackett a dangerous glare.

"My connection to the shuttle bay became strained a short time later. Lieutenant Wickers hacked my internal systems remotely and inserted a virus that corrupted my ability to communicate with outside ships and my ability to control functions in the shuttle bay. This is how they were able to commandeer the shuttle and flee the Normandy," EDI further explained.

"I woke up sometime after the gunfire started…I don't know when exactly. I got up and hobbled out to the front of the shuttle bay and saw the asari councilor hauling off Shepard. Shepard was like a rag doll, barely moving; I thought she was dead," Kaiden whispered sadly. The table was silent for a moment.

"Shepard was indeed alive; she made radio contact with Joker shortly before she was taken aboard the transport," EDI stated.

"I didn't have a gun when I first came into view of everything…they took her into the shuttle by the time I got a gun and managed to try to chase after them. It was difficult; my leg didn't want to move and my implant got a little rattled, so I was having trouble coordinating things," Kaiden explained shamefully.

"You did everything you could Kaiden," Liara whispered for the first time. Liara perhaps looked the most grief stricken of those that were at the table.

"The hell he did! Shepard's gone because Kaiden couldn't pull it together," Garrus snapped and slammed one of his fists into the table in anger.

"Shut up Garrus! You weren't even there!" Kaiden shouted back at Garrus his face awash in grief and rage.

"If _I'd _been there we wouldn't have lost her," Garrus replied in a dangerous voice. He eyed Kaiden like a predator about to make a kill.

"That's enough," Admiral Hackett declared and gave an angry glare at both Kaiden and Garrus. "We have a bigger situation at hand than who was or wasn't there. Major it sounds like you did your best to try to stop the abduction; I commend you for that. Sadly, any efforts were in vain since Shepard has now vanished."

Everyone was silent for several minutes. No one really wanted to admit that she was gone and that they didn't have a clue where she had been taken to.

"The Normandy's transport shuttles are equipped with tracking systems that allow me to remotely keep tabs on their locations," EDI reported. Everyone's head, except Liara's, snapped in her direction instantly.

"Why the hell are we just learning about this now?" Garrus demanded.

"Because my contact with external sources was limited until just recently. The virus Lieutenant Wickers inserted into my system corrupted external communication to a greater degree than I was aware of. While I was able to re-establish communication with outside vessels, my ability to track the shuttle was still limited due to the virus corrupting those systems. I have only been able to determine that the shuttle has indeed passed through the Sol Relay," EDI explained.

Just as Hackett was about to say something in response, Liara jumped in. "I was aware of the tracking devices on the Normandy's shuttles and was able to access any incoming information EDI received. Once I learned that the shuttle had been through the Sol relay, I sent a few of my contacts out through the Relay to try to locate the shuttle."

"Did you find anything Dr. T'Soni?" Hackett asked curiously.

"My contact reported that they found the Normandy's transport, the same one that was carrying Shepard," Liara paused as the members around the table stared at her expectantly. "My contact told me that they boarded the vessel only to find it abandoned. As far as I can tell, Wickers and the councilor must have been aware of the tracking systems embedded in the shuttles and therefore exchanged vessels once through the Sol Relay."

"You waited for over twelve hours to share this information?" Garrus asked his voice accusing and clearly furious.

"I didn't receive the information from my contact until just before this meeting began," Liara admitted and looked around the table at the accusing faces there.

"Shepard _was_ speaking in length with you right before all of this happened," Garrus pointed out and eyed Liara, outright blame in his eyes.

Liara sighed and looked directly at Garrus. "Garrus I understand you're frustration, but I assure you that _I _had nothing to do with Shepard's abduction. What Shepard and I were discussing couldn't possibly have any bearing on her kidnapping. I want to find her as much as you do." Garrus crossed his arms and was silent.

"You two arguing won't help us; right now the issue is finding Shepard and bringing her back to us," Admiral Hackett said and gave both Garrus and Liara a chastising look. "We might have some leads as to where she might've been taken…but nothing concrete."

"What leads?" Kaiden asked gloomily.

"I don't know how much Commander Shepard discussed with any of you, but she was doing some of her own investigation into the attempt on her life when she was still recovering on Earth. She was able to dig up some information that led us to believe the assassin was a former Alliance soldier…one that mysteriously vanished," the Admiral explained.

"I was unaware Shepard was investigating it…if I'd known I would've used my own resources to help her," Liara stated in surprise.

"Did any of us know that she was investigating the woman who tried to kill her?" Kaiden asked and looked questioningly around the table.

"I knew what she was doing; although she didn't go into depth as to what she had found. Whenever we talked about it she wasn't that forthcoming with details, but it was obvious that she thought there was a connection between the destruction of Tali's vessel and the former Alliance woman that tried to kill her. I think that should be obvious now," Garrus paused and then continued, "Look at the facts; just a short while after Tali delivers a warning to Shepard, agent Wickers shows up to serve on the Normandy and the asari councilor decides to pay the Citadel a visit…and then boom! Shepard's kidnapped."

"Come to think of it, Wickers did seem kinda hostile toward Shepard," James Vega added.

"The two did enter into an altercation," EDI remarked.

"They did?" Liara asked her eyes wide with surprise.

"How do you know EDI?" Vega asked almost eagerly.

"Because EDI is all seeing," Liara quickly explained.

"They fought? I had no idea," Cortez murmured.

"Doesn't surprise me…Shepard hated Wickers, and for good reason it turns out," Garrus muttered darkly.

Beside Hackett, Kaiden had a confused look on his face. "But who's behind all of this? There had to be someone behind the lines that was sending people out to antagonize Shepard and then eventually abduct her," he suggested.

"I think what's most important right now is dedicating as much time and resources we have to finding Shepard. The shuttle is a dead end but at least we know that they travelled through the Sol relay," Hackett stated.

"Yeah and anywhere else…it's like that human phrase, a needle in the haystack," Garrus snapped irritably.

"We can try to use the data Shepard collected and get a bearing for where she went…I'd like to say we can rule out the Hades Nexus, but since Jill was obviously…not who I thought she was, I think that that system can't yet be eliminated," Hackett commented, ignoring Garrus's irritable remark. Garrus continued to bristle at Hackett's side; if it was possible for turians to enter a krogan blood rage, Garrus certainly would have by now.

"Who commands the ship?" Kaiden asked his voice heavy with hidden emotion.

Admiral Hackett glanced around the table briefly and thought about who should act as the captain of the ship in Shepard's absence. He wasn't exactly sure he liked the idea of a non-human commanding the Normandy. Glancing briefly at Garrus, Hackett decided he didn't want the turian hothead to take Shepard's place…he'd be efficient in searching for Shepard, but he'd probably end up destroying the Normandy trying to find her. Hackett didn't mind Liara, actually respected her, but he didn't think that she was really the type to lead a ship. Vega didn't have enough experience and EDI…well she was an AI.

"Major Alenko will command the ship while Shepard is gone and will head the investigation into her disappearance," Admiral Hackett stated.

Garrus shot up from the table and glared at Hackett. "It's one thing if you insist on him running the Normandy; it's another if you let _him _head Shepard's disappearance. I spent the most time with her and understand her better than anyone else; not to mention it was my damn job to investigate things when I worked C-sec! _I _should head the investigation."

"Mr. Vakarian I'm not asking you to sit on the sidelines while we look into Shepard's abduction, I'm just giving the power of authority to Kaiden. He's less likely to make rash decisions," Hackett explained and nodded to Kaiden. Kaiden said nothing just gave a slight nod in return.

"You're making a mistake," Garrus shot back.

Ignoring Garrus's angry remark Hackett said, "Alright people we've got a lot to do. I'm going to head back down to Earth to try to gather a few more people that might be willing to help us. Liara, I think it would be good if you could use some of your Shadow Broker resources to aid in our search for Shepard. Everyone else, Major Alenko will direct you." Hackett gave one more glance to the table and left the war room leaving everyone else sitting in silence looking at Kaiden.

"What are your commands Major?" EDI asked.

Kaiden was silent and apparently lost in thought so Garrus spoke for him. "Since Kaiden is apparently dumb struck, I'll speak for him. Interview as many people you can that came into contact with Wickers; one of them has to of noticed something odd about her. Liara use your Shadow Broker skills for something useful and find out what happened after Shepard's kidnappers ditched the Normandy's shuttle. EDI maybe you could get some kind of intel from the virus Wickers inserted…I don't know if you'll be able to, but maybe you can find out where it was created or who it was created by."

After a moment's hesitation the crew in the war room started to filter out. As Liara rose from her seat Garrus called after her. "Liara if you could stay for a minute I would appreciate it." Liara reluctantly nodded and sat back down.

"Garrus—" Kaiden began until Garrus shot him a threatening look.

"It's your command, but you weren't taking the necessary action. You're not entirely useless Kaiden; go find something to do that will help us find Shepard," Garrus ordered in an icy voice.

Without a word Kaiden rose from his seat and left the war room. Liara and Garrus quietly stared at each other in the silence of the room.

"I need to know what it is you and Shepard talked about. She wanted to tell me about it…but she wasn't able to," Garrus stated darkly.

"I can't tell you that Garrus; it's not my place. Shepard is the one who will need to talk to you," Liara deflected.

Garrus narrowed his eyes and looked at Liara angrily. "What are you hiding? What is so important that you won't tell me even though Shepard is gone? If Shepard was going to tell me about what you two discussed, why can't you? I have a right to know Liara," Garrus exclaimed.

Liara looked down and was silent. For a moment she said nothing then slowly rose from her seat, as if to leave the war room entirely. Garrus wasn't going to let that happen. In a flash he was in front of her, blocking her exit and staring her down. Passionate, angry pale blue gray eyes met vulnerable brilliant blue ones.

"_Tell me," _Garrus commanded.

"I can't."

"I need to know."

"It won't help you find her. What we talked about has absolutely nothing to do with why she disappeared. I assure you," Liara assured Garrus, hoping he would back down and accept her reassurance.

"It may not have anything to do with why she was abducted, but she wanted me to know something that was bothering her; something _you _told her," Garrus countered.

Liara sighed and gave Garrus a pleading look. "Garrus…what I told her was a personal matter; one that upset her and one that I can't really tell you. What she needed to relay to you were her thoughts and feelings on what I told her. Please respect my desire to keep this private until she returns to us." With that said Liara shoved her way past Garrus and left the war room. Garrus just sighed in irritation.

After a few minutes of lingering in the war room to calm the boiling in his blood, Garrus left and headed for Shepard's cabin. He knew that her private terminal was encrypted to prevent outside users, but he also knew the encryption code. It was something Shepard had revealed to him shortly after he'd started staying in her cabin regularly. She had given it to him so that he could use her terminal if he ever needed to.

A quick ride up the elevator and he was at her cabin. After a brief pause outside the door he walked in and stood just inside the doorway. He looked around and took in the alluring blue glow of the fish tank, the whiter than white comforter adorning her bed, and the lulling ceiling window. This room held her presence making him feel an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. He longed to see her sharp blue eyes smiling at him, to feel her soft skin under his rough leathery flesh, hear her voice whisper his name.

Garrus shook his head and blinked as the memories he had of her washed over him. He remembered that he had come here to find information, not to linger in the past. With determination, Garrus took a step forward and sat in the chair she would so often sit in when she was working at her terminal. He slowly began putting in the encryption code and was pleased when the screen unlocked and opened up Shepard's incoming and outgoing messages and any notes or journals she'd kept.

"I'll find you Shepard…I promise," Garrus whispered and set about his work.


	20. Chapter 20 Fruition

**A/N: **Well I hope everyone enjoys my latest chapter. It's on the shorter side but hopefully it will give everyone some insight as to what is going on. Half of it is from my villain's perspective the other half is Shepard's. Well I guess that's about all and sorry I didn't get around to posting yesterday. Remember to please leave a comment and as always have fun reading. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all charactesr belong to Bioware.

* * *

Twenty: Fruition

At last everything had fallen into place and the prize was finally in front of her. She stood above her prize now, glowing like a new parent. The two that had brought her in, the human and asari, had done their job perfectly, and once again she realized how lucky she'd been to acquire them.

Commander Shepard lay in front of her, unconscious and completely silent. The Mistress was fairly certain that if she weren't heavily sedated she would be very difficult to control. Already they had had to double her dosage, and once they began treatment it would prove even more challenging to keep her down. These were things the Mistress anticipated though; she knew Shepard would be difficult to control; knew that she'd never get Shepard to fall under her sway, but she could perhaps get Commander Shepard to level with her.

The human who had brought her in was with the Mistress now as she looked down on her long awaited prize. The human currently acted as Shepard's guard, or at least one of them. The Mistress got the impression that the human wasn't that fond of Shepard and would perhaps enjoy watching the process of breaking her. Whatever the case the Mistress didn't care as long as the human didn't interfere with her plans. If the human did forget her place, well then the Mistress would simply dispose of her.

"Now that you have her Mistress, what do you plan to do?" The human asked from the Mistresses side.

"I intend to use her for the purpose she was created for," the Mistress replied and moved closer to Shepard. She examined Shepard's face; took in the pale skin and furrowed brow as if she was experiencing a nightmare. The Mistress ran her elongated fingers through Shepard's dark hair and cringed at the silk feel of it. She didn't like hair; to her it was unnecessary and while it might feel soft, she still disliked it.

"Why not just kill her? She killed the Father…she deserves to die," the human suggested.

The Mistress rose from her position over Shepard with startling speed. In an instant she was in front of the Alliance human, her hand wrapped around the human's neck, tightening like a noose. Her blue flame eyes were narrowed in rage and her lips were curled into a snarl revealing her sharp, gray teeth.

"Remember your place, slave!" The Mistress growled and shoved the human away from her. The human sputtered and coughed, clenching her neck as she scooted away from the Mistress.

"F-for-forgive me," the human begged between her gasping for air.

Still feeling angry at the human's boldness, the Mistress swiftly moved forward to face the human again. With their faces almost touching, the Mistress said, "I still have use for you…but remember you are replaceable and your life is _nothing _next to this human," the Mistress snarled and gestured toward Shepard. "You only act to serve me and will only ever exist as a lowly human. The woman you have brought me has the potential to be greater; to _create _great things."

"I was unaware of your plans for her," the human explained, hoping that this explanation would soothe the Mistresses anger.

"That surprises you? You know what _I want _you to know," the Mistress spat at the human and turned back to gaze at her long awaited prize.

"Forgi—" the human began only to have the Mistress interrupt her.

"Leave; send me the doctor…and don't return here until I give you permission," the Mistress commanded and waved off the alliance human.

Shortly later, another human appeared at the Mistresses side. This human was an older male and was the one that the Mistress had called the doctor. He had been under the Mistresses influence for a long time and was one of her oldest followers. Unlike some of her new subjects, this man never questioned her and only did things the Mistress asked of him; he always remembered his place.

"Mistress," the human greeted and bowed before her.

The Mistress nodded in his direction but kept her eyes locked on Shepard. "Place the tubing; we need to start the treatment to prepare her for the merging…it'll take time to prepare her."

Nodding the doctor replied, "Exactly right, Mistress. While the infusion of specialized reaper tech will speed up her body readiness for the merging, it will still take quite a bit of time for her to be fully prepared for a complete merge. I believe one insertion site should do it for now."

"One is fine…if she shows heavy resistance however, we will need to increase the amount of reaper tech going into her body," the Mistress paused and gave the doctor a probing look. "This reaper tech will not alter her, correct?"

"No, Mistress. The reaper tech we are infusing is specialized, made specifically to enhance her own abilities, much like the reaper tech that exists in her body already. In my research into Commander Shepard I discovered that after her death on the first Normandy she had a marginal amount of specialized reaper tech inserted into her body to bring her back. This is why she heals so quickly and is so formidable on the field. She should remain unaltered with our infusions," the doctor replied.

The Mistress nodded and said, "Like me, she is a unique creation by the Creator…although she is unaware of her true potential. It is our job to awaken that power."

"As you say, Mistress," the doctor agreed.

The Mistress continued to watch Shepard, her eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. This was her moment; the beginning of a new future. Her dreams were at last coming to life.

* * *

Shepard's head swam with confusion and chaos. Sometimes she heard voices and other times she heard nothing. She didn't dream, but instead would see glimpses of what she thought was the world around her, as if she was for just a moment regaining consciousness.

When she finally did regain consciousness, it was a slow arduous process. Shepard's hearing returned to her first, which wasn't initially helpful. At first there was no noise, save for the sound of her own beating heart. Then she thought she heard footsteps or the occasional whisper, but nothing clear or definitive. After Shepard's hearing returned, she became aware of how her body felt, which simply put, was terrible. She felt dehydrated and sore. Her bladder felt as if it was bone dry and had dust filling it instead of urine; her skin felt sticky and dirty and her head seemed to pound with the worst migraine she'd ever had. Eventually Shepard also became aware of a pain in her right arm; a dull stabbing sensation would radiate around her inner elbow causing her to imagine a gaping bullet wound pouring out blood.

After hearing and sensation return to Shepard her sight finally returned. When Shepard opened her eyes the world first came to her in shades of black and white. After blinking a few times the world cleared and she could make things out more clearly. She saw that she was in some kind of room, a dark room that looked like it had dirty walls. There were no windows that she could see, so she was unable to make a guess as to whether she was on a planet or in space on a ship.

The room around her was dark and poorly lit. She could make out what looked like grime on the walls, almost as if they had sweated foul, purulent grease. Shortly after Shepard's sight came back to her she realized that she was restrained. Both her wrists were secured in place with metal shackles that kept her from moving. Her legs appeared free as did the rest of her body. She was laying on some kind of metal gurney that clung to her skin and made her feel sticky and disgusting.

Taking in her surroundings, Shepard examined the shackles restraining her. They looked stout and not like something that she could easily break through. When Shepard looked down at her right arms she was horrified to see a large tube poking out of one of the veins in her elbow. The tube was dark and startlingly similar to the tubing she'd seen on all Reaper creatures. Shepard followed the line of tubing to a tall pole that was at the foot of the gurney. She felt fear tickle its way into her stomach as she saw that the bag the tubing hooked into was full of a dark fluid that had an almost blue iridescent sheen to it. The discovery of this sent Shepard into a panic.

Grunting with effort, Shepard struggled against her metal shackles; she kicked her legs and arched her back. Her body still felt a bit moderately unresponsive due to the sedative, but her mind had fully returned to her. Still struggling, Shepard became aware of one of the shackles loosening around her wrist. Adrenaline surged through her and Shepard managed to tear free of her left shackle.

The second the shackle was off Shepard sat up as fast as she could and yanked on the tubing. It was at this time that she became aware that she was missing the upper portion of the black Alliance uniform she'd put on before she'd been kidnapped. Now all that she was covered in were her pants and white undershirt with her black sports bra poking out. Shepard wondered why they had removed a portion of her clothing.

After taking in the fact that she was missing an article of clothing, Shepard gripped the tubing that was poking into her arm and she ripped it out. Blood that was tinged black spurted out of the vein in her arm and Shepard clamped her left hand over the bleeding injury.

Realizing then that she still had a metal shackle restraining her, Shepard focused her mind and channeled her biotic power. It was difficult to focus on channeling her power, but once she did she realized that the strength behind her usual biotic abilities was stronger than she expected. Shepard felt herself brim with biotic energy and directed it in the direction of her shackled wrist. A bright glow of blue erupted from her shackled wrist and she forced the biotically charged wrist up against the restraint. She heard the distinct snap of metal; her wrist was free.

Shepard clumsily stumbled off the gurney and onto the floor. She barely noticed the fact that her feet were bare. It was still dark and she couldn't make out that much of the little room she was in and she wasn't sure where there was a door exactly. Her arm continued to bleed and as Shepard spared a glance at it, she was glad to see the blood had returned to a bright red color.

"Where do you think you're going?" Called a sharp mechanical voice. Shepard stumbled backwards in reaction to the voice. She didn't know where it had come from and was certain that it wasn't a human voice or any species she was familiar for that matter. Shepard backed up to the gurney, feeling it bump into her backsides.

"Where are you?" Shepard called attempting to summon up more biotic power.

A chuckle came from somewhere in the dark. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the voice commented and suddenly the room was illuminated by a dazzling orb of blue light that was heading Shepard's way. Shepard's eyes widened as the orb smashed into her, knocking her off balance and onto the floor, thoroughly ending any plans of using biotics as her defense.

Shepard's vision went dark for a few moments and she became aware of someone lifting her up and placing her gently back onto the gurney. Swift hands fluttered across Shepard's wrists and ankles for just a moment; it was like a ghosts touch and as a result Shepard was barely aware of it.

As Shepard's vision returned to her, her eyes took a moment to readjust to the darkness of the room. One thing that was different than before were two blue flames that were glowing nearby the gurney Shepard was once again lying on. Shepard tried to sit up but realized that she had been shackled to the gurney once again, this time her legs were strapped in place as well. Shepard struggled against her restraints until she heard that same mechanical voice speak to her.

"Don't struggle Alexandria…that will only make the treatments worse."

"Who are you?" Shepard asked and stared at the glowing flames suddenly remembering how the god child's eyes had glowed and how the strange Reaper woman in her dream had had glowing blue eyes.

The glowing flames vanished for a moment, making Shepard suspicious that they were in fact eyes and had just blinked. A moment later a woman stepped into the dim light around Shepard's gurney and into her view. Shepard blinked in terror as she realized that the woman before her was very similar if not identical, to the one she had dreamed about not long ago.

The woman in front of Shepard was on the taller side, with dark gray skin. Her body was human in shape, but her head looked distinctly asari, except for the extended skeletal looking fringe. The features on her face were both asari and human alike, except the eyes that glowed a fiery blue and thick tubing extended from the sides of her face and out to her fringe. Her arms were human like but her hands were skeletal thin with long, frightening looking talons extending from the fingers. The woman strongly reminded Shepard of a Banshee, but a more refined one; one that still looked marginally asari. Instead of being mostly nude like a Banshee, this woman appeared to be dressed in some kind of skimpy silver armor that adorned her torso and lower half.

"Who and what are you?" Shepard demanded, trying to summon strength into her voice.

The woman before her smiled. "I am the Mistress, or at least that is what my subjects call me…you may call me Raidee, it was my asari name. And since you are _not _one of my subjects you may refer to me as that."

"You're not an asari; you're a perversion of that; you're a Reaper abomination!" Shepard spat, gritting her teeth and glaring at the smiling woman in front of her.

"That is your opinion, and a wrong one I might add," Raidee said in response and eyed Shepard closely with her flaming eyes.

Shepard glared at the woman in front of her and once again attempted to channel her biotics. She might be strapped to this bed but maybe she could channel some level of biotic strength powerful enough to set her free. The Reaper perversion in front of her laughed as if she could read Shepard's mind.

"You impress me with your ambition, human…but your efforts are in vain. Already I have a doctor coming to sedate you again. I expected you to resist me, but your desire to escape and your strength are impressive," Raidee remarked and brought her sickly gray hand close to Shepard's face as if to caress her cheek. Shepard turned her head away from the touch.

"Don't fucking touch me," Shepard snapped.

Above Shepard, Raidee sighed and pulled her hand back. "In time you will come to understand that I am not here to harm you…you are here to become great; to embrace your inner power," she paused and then whispered in that metallic sounding voice, "together we can create a new beginning."

"Not interested," Shepard shot back and turned her head back to Raidee to glare at her. Raidee's expression did not change and no emotion seemed to cross her twisted face.

"It is too soon now…you still smell of humans, and that…_disgusting turian_," Raidee sneered in revulsion, her eyes narrowing.

"Leave them out of this! If you hurt them, or have hurt them, I swear I'll pluck those fiery eyes right out of their sockets and make you wish you'd joined the Reaper creator I killed on the Citadel!" Shepard threatened and again struggled against her restraints. Raidee laughed at Shepard's violence.

"Silly human, how little you know. I have no ill will with your precious human kin or beloved turian…however, their day of reckoning will come and they _will _fall," Raidee explained with a smirk, revealing her sharp needle like teeth.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Shepard retorted.

"I'm sure you'll have lots to say about it…but in the meantime, you must return to sleep; there is much to be done before the merging begins," Raidee stated casually and left Shepard's side.

Shepard blinked at Raidee's word, 'merging'. She wanted to merge with her? What did that mean? Did this twisted Reaper asari woman want to Embrace Eternity with her? That really didn't make any sense…

"What? What are you planning! What do you mean merging?" Shepard shouted angrily and struggled against her restraints. Raidee continued to walk away and vanished into shadow again. A human came into Shepard's sights then, carrying a small syringe with him.

"Come back here you bitch!" Shepard screamed as the man with the syringe quickly shoved the needle protruding from the syringe into Shepard's exposed shoulder.

Shepard let out a scream of rage and squirmed and writhed against her restraints. She could feel whatever the man had given her work its way through her system, numbing parts of her and fogging her mind. Shepard did her best to fight against the weight that seemed to fill her body. She continued to struggle against her restraints despite her bodies growing heaviness. Grunting and sweating with effort, Shepard let out another shout of rage, but to no avail.

Finally exhausted, Shepard stopped fighting and let the heavy blackness of unconsciousness sweep over her.


	21. Chapter 21 A Lead

**A/N: **So here is 21...once again we're going to switch perspectives a little. Begins with Liara's point of view and then we switch to Garrus. I think in the future when I write these kind of chapters I will mainly write from Garrus's POV since I like writing him better than Liara. Liara is great, but a little too goody goody for me. Kudos to me for finally getting a chapter up at a decent hour. Whoo hoo to that. Anyway have fun reading it! Thank you for all the lovely reviews; I love being able to read them. Anyway, go ahead and read, leave a comment, and most importantly enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware.

* * *

Twenty-One: A Lead

"Glyph, have any of the other contacts from the Nubian Expanse reported in?" Liara T'Soni asked as she sat on her bed looking through various data pads.

"Not recently Dr. T'Soni," Glyph replied in his mechanical little voice.

Liara nodded and continued looking through the data pads she had. She was currently reviewing information that EDI had put together on the virus that had been inserted into the Normandy's systems. EDI had managed to gain a fair bit of information from analyzing the virus. She was able to learn that the virus couldn't have been constructed by Wickers or the asari councilor as it would've needed someone with more technical expertise to make it. EDI wasn't able to determine where the virus had been put together, but she was able to determine where certain software originated.

It had been three days since Admiral Hackett had been aboard the Normandy and made Kaiden the temporary captain in Shepard's absence. Things had progressed in that time but no major leads had been made. Kaiden had gotten better at taking control of things in the time that had passed and instead of Garrus bashing him around the two were actually working together occasionally. It seemed that Garrus decided to utilize Kaiden as a resource and while he was still angry and worried about Shepard he was being productive in trying to find her. However while Garrus had improved his relationship with Kaiden, he seemed to increase his animosity toward Liara.

Whenever Garrus would pass Liara he barely gave her a nod or glance if she said hello. He never shared what progress he had made with Liara and never came to her to try to use her Shadow Broker resources. Instead, he seemed to rely on Kaiden as a go between.

In the time that Shepard had been gone, the crew of the Normandy had all but stopped further work on the Citadel and focused their efforts on finding Shepard. Admiral Hackett had pulled together a ship and crew of soldiers he thought would be instrumental in finding and extracting Shepard from wherever she was. While this was a good idea in theory, certain crew members, namely Garrus, were skeptical of any people Hackett sent their way. Hackett's track record was ruined to Garrus—he'd sent Wickers right into the Normandy to abduct Shepard!

EDI had made a few discoveries since she'd started to examine left over data from the virus. She knew that the software that went into completing the virus originated from the Nubian Expanse, Hades Nexus, and Far Rim systems. Any further information was difficult for EDI to gather since the virus was mostly destroyed since being purged from the Normandy.

The various interviews conducted by Liara, Garrus, Kaiden, and Vegan on those who had come in contact with Wickers hadn't revealed much. A few of the people that had been interviewed reported that Wickers had seemed boring to them and was very quiet and private. While this was a common report of her behavior, there were others that said that Wickers was often seen sneaking off into corners and not doing the duties she was assigned to. One constant detail however, was that Wickers made no efforts to befriend any of the people she came into contact with. With the exception of Garrus who she had tried to flirt with, and Kaiden who knew her, Wickers had avoided personal contact with anyone she met. Vega even went so far as to describe her as a _ghost _after interviewing several people who had worked with her_. _

Liara had spent the last three days reviewing information she had received from the resources that found the Normandy's abandoned shuttle. Nothing she found was that concrete or conclusive. What she really wanted to do was to engage Garrus in a conversation and find out what he knew. Because Garrus was giving Liara the cold shoulder, she had a large disadvantage in finding leads since Garrus was probably the only individual Shepard had shared her private thoughts with.

Feron had arrived two days ago and Liara had been very glad at his arrival. Feron helped Liara sift through the copious information that Liara received on a daily basis and make sense of it. When Liara felt overwhelmed Feron would kindly take over for her and let Liara have a rest. Suffice to say, Liara was much happier now that Feron was there to help her.

"EDI can you tell me again where you tagged parts of the virus to?" Liara requested aloud.

EDI's voice came from overhead and replied, "The virus was a finely crafted program that required a high level of technical expertise to put together…while the final product requires a technical expert, the parts that went into making the whole are common pieces that can easily be tracked to the systems of the Nubian Expanse, Hades Nexus, and the Far Rim. While I cannot locate exactly where these parts originated from, the serial numbers are commonly found in those systems."

"Have you been able to determine when the virus was created?" Liara asked hoping EDI would know.

"It is impossible to determine the exact date the virus was made. A large degree of the viruses programming was lost in my efforts to purge it from the Normandy. I will however, say that there is a probability that the virus was crafted by a geth or quarian since the level of technical knowledge would have to of been vast. While there are many other species capable of technical mastery, the detail that I have observed in what is left of the virus indicates a geth or quarian creator," EDI explained.

Liara frowned at the thought that a quarian or geth could be involved in Shepard's abduction. As far as she knew the quarians were fixated on rebuilding their home world and the geth were right there by the quarians side. Liara suddenly remembered Tali's ship and how it had been infected with a geth developed pathogen that specifically targeted quarians.

"Thank you EdI," Liara said and rose from her bed to move over to her personal terminal. She had a contact that had connections to Hackett's military movements.

"Can I help you with something Dr. T'Soni?" Glyph asked and buzzed over to her. Liara barely spared Glyph a glance and continued working on her terminal.

"Glyph, has our Alliance source sent us any reports recently?" Liara asked as she scanned through the messages she'd received directly from her sources.

"Dr. Fenzi has not sent any intel recently. His last update was over a week ago and reported information involving Admiral Hackett's investigation into the Arden's destruction," Glyph responded cheerily. Liara smiled.

"Thank you Glyph," She said and began scanning through reports she'd received from over a week ago.

After a few minutes of searching Liara found the last report Dr. Fenzi had sent to the Shadow Broker. It was dated for nine days ago. Liara eagerly opened it up and began to read it.

** Subject: Update on Hackett's Movements**

** Admiral Hackett's investigation into the Arden's destruction has revealed little evidence of value. I've overheard some of the team that he sent to help the quarians talking about the ship's systems being corrupted. The only real thing of interest is my specifically being asked to analyze a blood culture from a quarian that was supposedly on the Arden before it exploded. I analyzed the blood culture and determined it was positive for the viral pathogen known to the scientific community as QLS (standing for Quarian Leukocyte Sickness) virus but more commonly known as 'synthetic bug'. It is my understanding that the QLS virus cannot be accessed without extremely high clearance in any government agency. As you may know, the QLS virus is of geth creation and was once used as a bioweapon against the quarians about one hundred years ago. It is now banned across the galaxy and when I reported a positive finding of QLS I was told to destroy the sample to prevent potential further contamination.**

** Sadly this is the only valuable information I have to report. I did hear a few of the team I'd been assigned to work with gossiping about how they were certain that Reapers were behind the attack. One of them mentioned something about the only place QLS could've come from was the Reapers…nonsense really. While I felt that that was the worst bit of gossip I'd heard in quite a while, I thought it was worth mentioning. **

** I will report with further information on Admiral Hackett's movements as soon as I can. **

** Dr. Jenson Fenzi, Salarian Operative**

Liara closed the file from Dr. Fenzi and scanned the rest of the messages to see if he'd written anything else. Sadly there was no further information from the salarian. Liara frowned.

"Something wrong?" Feron asked from Liara's doorway.

Liara turned around, startled to see him there. "Oh…it's nothing really, just looking through old messages."

Liara gave Feron a reassuring expression and looked back at Feron. He returned her gaze with his dark, wide eyes and gave her a timid smile. She had missed him.

"We've got lots of resources Liara, I'm sure we'll find the leads we need," Feron reassured Liara and moved over to the monitors on Liara's wall to examine them.

"I'm certain we will, but my fear is that it won't be in time," Liara confessed and took a seat in one of her chairs. She let out a worried sigh and gently patted her barely rounded abdomen.

"Well, all we can do is try…by the way, how did your confession to Shepard go? You never told me," Feron asked and gave Liara a questioning look.

"She was angry…I think she was okay with it by the time she left, but honestly I think she just wanted to leave. I got the impression that she hadn't really absorbed it yet. I can only imagine what will happen when Shepard is able to tell Garrus," Liara explained absently.

"If I were her I'd be angry too…I don't blame you for what you did, but it was an open violation of her trust," Feron remarked and turned back to the monitors.

Liara gave a little nod and watched as Feron continued to watch the monitors. She cared about Feron and perhaps she could even love him, but she couldn't think about that right now; not when her friend was in danger.

"I honestly don't know what I expected. A part of me regrets even telling her…I'm not sure if our relationship will ever be the same," Liara lamented and looked down at her feet.

Feron turned away from the monitors and walked over to Liara. He gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Shepard's a mature adult; she just needs time."

"I hope Garrus can forgive me," Liara whispered and pictured how he would react. The picture that formed in her head wasn't a pretty one.

"I don't—" Feron was cut off as the door to Liara's quarters opened. Kaiden stood in the doorway and looked nervously at both Feron and Liara.

"Kaiden…is there something I can help you with?" Liara asked.

Kaiden hesitated at the threshold of the door and seemed to be thinking over his words. Finally he took a step into Liara's quarters and said, "Uh yeah, I wanted to talk with you about things so far…privately." Kaiden's eyes shot nervously to Feron. Obviously he didn't trust the newly arrived drell.

"You don't need to worry about Feron; he's on our side," Liara assured.

"Liara—" Kaiden began only to have Feron speak up.

"It's alright Liara, I'll go get something to eat. You go ahead and discuss things," Feron stated and gave Liara a warm smile and left her quarters.

"So…" Kaiden began awkwardly after Feron left. Liara looked at the door as if she could see beyond it and to Feron who was out in the mess hall somewhere.

"So, you wanted to talk?" Liara questioned and forced herself to look in Kaiden's direction.

Kaiden looked more fatigued than Liara had ever seen him look before. The circle under his eyes were dark as if he'd been staying up until very late at night and the frown lines around his mouth seemed to have deepened. Liara felt sympathy for Kaiden as she gazed at him and realized that this worn appearance was probably because of Shepard's disappearance. She felt mildly guilty since she knew she would look unwrinkled and youthful as ever. It was common for asari to remain unmarred by wrinkles and lines of worry until well into their Matron days. Because Liara was pregnant she knew that she'd have a glow about her. When asari were pregnant their skin seemed to become almost iridescent and they tended to almost look more youthful than even the most well preserved asari.

"I wanted to know where we're at…if you've found anything," Kaiden explained and rubbed his hands together as if her were nervous.

"I just uncovered some information from a contact of mine that was working on the Arden. He reported that a rare quarian virus was used that's engineered by the geth…although I think you probably already had an idea about that," Liara replied.

"Oh…yeah, Shepard mentioned something about the pathogen, and we all knew that Tali was sick. I guess I didn't know it was engineered by the geth. Was it the synthetic bug?" Kaiden asked.

Liara smiled at Kaiden's quick ability to put two and two together. "Yes; my contact called it the Quarian Leukocyte Sickness Virus, something that was engineered by the geth to infect quarians specifically. He said only those with the highest access could get a hold of it."

"Yeah, I remember learning about it as a kid. There was some famous salarian epidemiologist that came to visit my school when I was a little kid; he talked about QLS, but told us to just call it the synthetic bug. I don't think many people have access to it…this salarian who came and talked to my class when I was a kid knew all about it and I got the impression he had high clearance, but I don't think he could gain access to it," Kaiden explained his eyes seemed to drift into the past and Liara felt she could almost see images from Kaiden's childhood.

"The source I mentioned also said that a few of the team he was working with thought that the Reapers were involved…I'm not sure about that, but I suppose…" Liara's voice trailed off as she continued to think about Reapers and geth and strange foreign pathogens.

"Well it'd make perfect sense; the Reapers controlled the geth for the longest time and if the geth made the synthetic bug then it wouldn't surprise me if the Reapers have some of the virus stockpiled. I'm not saying that's what happened, but it does make you think," Kaiden remarked and began absently rubbing his chin in thought.

Liara thought about Kaiden's words and the likelihood that Reapers were behind this. Once again she wanted to talk to Garrus; he would probably know if Shepard had had fears of lingering Reapers.

"It does make a certain kind of sense I'm afraid. I hope that's not the case though," Liara said quietly and looked to her monitors as if they could provide her with some kind of security.

"If it's the case then we probably have a very limited amount of time to rescue Shepard…because if it's some kind of left over from the Reapers, then they'll either kill her or turn her into some Reaper monster," Kaiden commented and looked seriously at Liara.

Liara didn't return his glance, but simply continued staring at the monitors as if they would give her some kind of solace.

* * *

Garrus Vakarian sat in Commander Shepard's cabin at her private terminal. It was a place he had become intimately familiar with during the past three days. He'd spent the majority of his time at her terminal occasionally taking breaks to visit with EDI or another crew member. Sometimes he'd visit Kaiden and the two would share information. Garrus found Kaiden very useful in terms of collecting information that Liara had shared with him. Garrus hadn't been in the habit of speaking to Liara recently. He was thoroughly irritated that Liara refused tell him what she and Shepard had been discussing. He knew it was something big and that it had bothered Shepard and he wanted to know.

During the last three days he'd received a few personal calls and messages from Palaven specifically from the Primarch and his family, but he had ignored them. For him, there was only his search for Shepard. He had put everything else on hold and didn't feel like he could return to his old self until Shepard was returned to him safely.

There wasn't anything left on Shepard's private terminal that he hadn't been through, so with the help of EDI he had redirected intel from the terminals in the Spectre requisition's office to Shepard's terminal. Using Shepard's Spectre status allowed him to access a plethora of information that had helped him greatly in his search for clues. EDI had managed to hack into the Citadel and allow Garrus to use Shepard's Spectre status.

His most recent discovery had been files on former Lieutenant Jillian Wickers. Using Shepard's Spectre status Garrus had opened up file after file on Wickers. He'd learned all about her early military career which began as a lowly freighter pilot and covered her rise up the ladder to the Lieutenant she currently was. From everything he could tell Wickers had been a diligent Alliance Soldier and had carried out tasks in an effective, timely manner. Eventually Wickers had earned the title of being an Alliance Agent, meaning she carried out undercover operations. It was here where things changed.

Wickers had been working as a pilot during the Reaper wars, but once they ended Hackett took command of her and reassigned her to her previous undercover investigative role, specifically investigating Shepard's assassin. As Garrus had continued to look through her files he'd found that she had reported in regularly while she was investigating Kia Sulei. When Hackett had reassigned Wickers to the Hades Nexus things changed.

At first Wickers reports were regular just as they had been, but once she entered into the Pamyat subsystem of Hades her reports were a bit varied. Garrus had been alarmed by this and had read the report she'd forwarded to Hackett.

**Subject: Hades Nexus**

** Operative Lieutenant Jillian Wickers**

** Reporting as of 2186 month of August**

** Admiral, I entered the Hades Nexus approximately two weeks ago and have now thoroughly searched the Hekate subsystem. I am now travelling farther into the nebula into the subsystem of Pamyat. While investigating Hekate I uncovered little evidence into Jariad Mari's death. I have no further information on him that you wouldn't already know. The only thing I can report is that I am travelling to Pamyat on a tip from someone who claimed to have seen Jariad Mari in Hekate before he was found dead. This person informed me that Mari had been in the Pamyat system and had fled to Hekate. Apparently the rumor was he had been on one of the planets there. Based on this possible information I will travel to Pamyat and investigate further. I will update you when I have further information. **

When Garrus finished reading this update from Wickers he had eagerly moved onto the next one and had been surprised to find that the next report was the last one from Wickers that involved the Hades system. Garrus also realized that this report was overdue. Normally Wickers reported in once every two weeks; this one was two weeks overdue.

**Subject: Hades Nexus**

** Operative Lieutenant Jillian Wickers**

** Reporting as of 2186 month of September **

** Admiral, I apologize for the delay. My investigation into Kia Sulei's disappearance and Jariad Mari's death have sadly revealed no evidence. I have thoroughly investigated every subsystem in the Hades Nexus and I have no reports. The tip I received from the person who claimed to know Mari must have been false. I request permission to return to the Sol system and be reassigned. **

Garrus leaned back in his chair and thought about what he had just read. Wickers had been thorough in every other one of her reports, but this last one was lacking to say the least. She didn't explain why she hadn't reported in for two weeks and simply said that she had done her job and wanted to return home. To Garrus this was a huge red flag; obviously something had happened to Wickers in those two weeks that she didn't report in; she'd run into something that changed her.

"EDI is it possible for you to analyze the message I just read and find out where it was sent from?" Garrus asked overhead.

"It may be difficult because the message is older and has heavy encryption embedded in it, but I believe I can decrypt it and get you the information you've requested. This may take time, however," EDI's disembodied voice answered.

"Good. When you get any information please let me know," Garrus stated and then abruptly shut off Shepard's terminal and left the cabin. He decided it was time to visit Kaiden and see what he had managed to learn from Liara.

A short time later Garrus was on the third deck and in one of the lounges per EDI's suggestion to find Kaiden. As Garrus walked into the lounge he saw Kaiden sitting at the bar with a drink in his hand. Garrus refrained from snorting in amusement; leave it to humans to drown in alcohol when there was a job to be done.

"Kaiden, anything to report?" Garrus asked, interrupting Kaiden's drunken reverie.

Shakily, Kaiden swiveled around on his barstool and gazed at Garrus. His eyes were cloudy with intoxication and his breath reeked of booze. Garrus wondered if he'd be of any use at all.

"Well I spoke with Liara and she said," a pause to hiccup, "she said that one of her contacts heard people talking about Reapers."

"Reapers? Are we really going to go with _that _theory?" Garrus asked, now convinced that Kaiden was over the hill drunk.

"It makes sense…think about it…the geth being controlled by the Reapers; Tali's ship being destroyed and Tali being infected by a geth pathogen that Reapers probably have access to…and let's not forget that creepy message that Tali delivered to Shepard," Kaiden stammered and clumsily took another sip of his liquor.

"I suppose Shepard did have some concerns about that…but could that really be it? I thought she was just being a little paranoid," Garrus's voice trailed off as he recalled some of their previous conversations.

"Her instincts were usually right," Kaiden mumbled in response.

"Are right; her instincts _are _usually right. Don't talk about her in past tense," Garrus scolded and continued to think. His eyes wandered over to some of the chairs by the window and he remembered a time when he'd been here talking with Javik and another crewmember about the skill of the Reapers. He remembered Shepard walking in and quietly listening to them, her dazzling blue eyes watching him carefully; her dark hair tucked perfectly behind her ears; her lips just barely twitched into a smile.

"We've gotta find her…we've just got to," Kaiden whispered sullenly. Garrus turned to Kaiden, forced out of his nostalgia.

"We'll find her; and when we do, we'll kill the bastards that took her."


	22. Chapter 22 The Enemy's Keep

**A/N: **So sorry for the lack of update yesterday and the later evening update today. Yesterday I was wasting time with Diablo 3, which I am now happy to report that it will no longer be hindering me from writing. I'm never playing it again. Anyway, here is chapter 22. I struggled with the beginning and I hope that it flows and works. When I edited it I was mildly distracted as I was watching a stupid TV show about serial killers, something I probably won't do in the future...so sorry if there are blaringly obvious errors. Anyway, thank you for all the lovely reviews! They are always very enjoyable to read. So go ahead and read, leave a comment, and as always enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

* * *

Twenty-Two: The Enemy's Keep

"You planning on keeping me awake for all of this? I preferred being unconscious while you poured poison into me," Shepard mumbled as she watched her captor, the former asari, now Reaper perversion, Raidee, saunter around the room.

Raidee turned back to Shepard and gave her an arrogant smile. "While you are easier to control unconscious, I need you awake today." She gave no other explanation and turned away from Shepard.

For an unknown amount of time Shepard had been in Raidee's clutches. Shepard had spent most of that time unconscious but as things progressed, it was becoming more and more difficult to keep her sedated. Doubling the dosage of sedative had long since failed at putting her under, so the dose had been tripled and then quadrupled to get the desired results.

The main reason Shepard needed her sedative quadrupled was because she no longer had just one line of tubing going into her body; now there were a total of three places that tubing extended from. Sometime during Shepard's unconsciousness, Raidee had ordered that more tubing be added. Shepard not only had tubing extending from her elbow, but now also from her subclavian vein in the chest, and her femoral vein in the groin area. The added tubing increased the amount of reaper tech being poured into Shepard's body and as a result enhanced her abilities. Because of the high amount of reaper tech that was accumulating in Shepard, the sedatives that had been effective at keeping Shepard down were now failing to work.

One of the doctors that served Raidee had been very cautious about tripling and quadrupling Shepard's dosage for fear of damaging and destroying her kidneys and liver; but Mistress Raidee had assured him. The reaper tech that was pouring into Shepard's body on a regular basis acted like a super filtration system. As a result Shepard's kidneys and liver, which normally would've been destroyed by such a large dose of a pharmaceutical, were untouched. The reaper tech had not only affected Shepard's filtering organs however, but her whole body.

Since the infusions had begun, Shepard's body started to heal at an exceptional rate; ever faster than it had before. When conscious, Shepard noticed that both her hearing and vision had become more acute. The insertion sites for the tubing had previously been bloodied from the large tube being forced into a vein of a much smaller diameter; now there wasn't a trace of blood to be found. However, what was disturbing about this was that around the insertion sites a silvery gray sheen had started to form and if one looked closely enough, they would see traces of black following the course of what had been blue veins in Shepard's chest, elbow, and groin area.

When Shepard was conscious it usually wasn't for very long. Raidee would insist that she be put back to sleep because when awake Shepard would struggle endlessly. On two separate occasions when Shepard had regained consciousness, she had broken free of her restraints and tried to escape. It was during the second of the two attempts that Shepard did manage to channel her biotic abilities. One of Mistress Raidee's followers had attempted to subdue Shepard, but Shepard newly freed, let forth with an explosive biotic kick that would've rivaled an asari's biotic ability straight to the followers face. As a result the follower had died. It had been Raidee that had managed to get Shepard under control and that was only after she'd hit Shepard with two powerful biotic blasts. It was after this escape attempt that the sedative had been quadrupled.

Since quadrupling Shepard's sedative, she had started to feel ill when awake. Because she felt so sick Shepard's escape attempts stopped completely. Shepard had begun to prefer her periods of unconsciousness because of the intense nausea, general malaise, and distorted vision and hearing she experienced while awake. Another reason Shepard preferred her periods of sedation was seeing the tubing that extended from parts of her body and how it was changing those parts. Shepard had started to feel alien in her own body and seeing the blackened veins extend from the reaper tubing made her wish she could fade back into the world of unconsciousness.

"Why don't you just kill me already? I don't see how I could be of any use to you…and whatever garbage it is you pour into my body everyday I think is already killing me," Shepard suggested and eyed Raidee's form. Raidee was in shadow, but that was expected since the little room they were in was normally poorly lit.

Without turning around to face Shepard Raidee replied, "It isn't the _poison_ as you call it, that's making you feel the way you do. The sedative we're using makes you feel this way. Without it you would feel like a new woman…a new creation!" Raidee exclaimed as she fiddled with something in the shadows.

Shepard snorted although doing so made the headache she had worse. She turned her head away from Raidee and closed her eyes. Shepard was no longer on the gurney she'd started out on; now she spent her days strapped into a metal chair that shackled her in place at her wrists, ankles, and neck.

"You mentioned merging once and haven't really clarified that subject for me…so what? You want to Embrace Eternity with me?" Shepard paused and gave a dark chuckle. "Because honestly I had the chance to Embrace Eternity with another asari and I turned her down and she was a lot better looking than you."

"You mean Liara T'Soni? Yes, I'm aware of her attraction to you…she would've been a valuable asset to have acquired, but sadly she was beyond my reach. As for Embracing Eternity, well…that's not exactly what I had in mind," Raidee explained and turned back around and gazed at Shepard with dark anticipation.

"Then what exactly _do _you have in mind?" Shepard snapped angrily. She was sick of Raidee not answering the questions she managed to ask when awake.

Raidee sauntered forward and stood just a few inches in front of Shepard. She was quiet for quite a while and seemed to simply be enjoying the sight of Shepard chained up.

At last she spoke. "When I was created by the Father I was done so in a way that was entirely unique. No other like me exists…this is why I lived when the rest died and why I can continue to influence those around me. Sadly I cannot by myself, create true Reapers as you call them. I am only one and not nearly as powerful as the Creator was…it is with you however, that I can," Raidee explained, her blue flame eyes alight with excitement.

"What?" It was the only thing Shepard managed to utter in response. What on Earth was Raidee talking about?

Raidee smiled. "When I first learned that it was you that was to blame for the destruction of the Father and my brothers and sisters, I wanted you dead. I sent one of my followers, an old Alliance military human, to kill you. When she was about to do just that I realized that there was more to you than just being human," Raidee paused and moved away from Shepard again. "You see when I influence someone and gain control over them I can tap into their mind; see what they see; feel what they feel. It was using this talent that I could _feel _power in you; power that echoed that of the Creator. I realized that the combination of your essence with mine will create a _new _breed of Reaper; a _new Creator_."

Shepard stared at Raidee in horror. She had had suspicions as to what Raidee had been intending with 'merging' but she never would have thought possible that she could be possible of creating a new breed of Reapers. The very thought that Shepard possessed the ability to spawn more evil of that level made her sick. It was what she had spent the last few years of her life trying to destroy! And here all this time she was capable of making new ones; Shepard thought she might vomit at the thought.

"Don't look so surprised Shepard…some part of you had to wonder why you were able to resist indoctrination. Weren't you curious why it was you who weas able to defeat the Creator? What about all that power you have? Even before you were rebuilt with just a little bit of reaper tech, the strength and power you possessed were impressive. Your merging with me will just unleash that strength that lies hidden within you," Raidee stated in a cheery voice as if she were discussing an upcoming party or a date she'd been asked on.

"But…that…that can't be possible!" Shepard cried, forgetting the pounding in her head, nausea in her stomach, and achy body. Raidee's twisted face blurred before Shepard's eyes; her vision distorting with her shock.

Raidee turned back around to face Shepard. "Why not? I was originally an asari and it's in my genetic makeup to connect to others minds regardless of how much reaper tech I have in me. Asari as a whole are professionals at making 'me' into 'we'; 'two' into 'one'. When I ascended and became what I am, I became capable of taking that to an entirely new level. When you are ready, you and I will merge into a single mind and single body with the same thoughts and ideas; we will be the future."

"This is ludicrous…why couldn't you just kill me?" Shepard shouted the last part and felt tears threaten to spill from her eyes.

"You're too valuable to kill," Raidee replied her voice mechanical and numb.

"And the lives of the ones you've just thrown away? Kia Sulei; the asari councilor; Wickers; everyone you've brain washed into following you? You just throw away their lives without a second thought?" Shepard asked voice high with outrage.

"They are pawns and nothing more; they happened to walk into my web and I ensnared them. The ones you mentioned, the two humans and the asari that brought you in, they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time…or in the case of the two humans they were poking their nose around in places they shouldn't have been," Raidee explained not an ounce of remorse in her voice.

"So they found you…and you just possessed them? No matter if you threw away their lives, you'd just go out and make a new slave," Shepard observed angrily.

"Exactly."

"You're a monster."

"That's a matter of opinion," Raidee replied in response to Shepard's statement.

"What'd you do that tipped them off? How'd Kia and Jill find you?" Shepard asked taking in Raidee's complete and utter lack of remorse or caring.

"When I was working on building up my numbers some of my followers got sloppy and abducted a few too many humans from a mining colony on Tefnut. Your Alliance Military found out from some pathetic little human man that evaded my grasp for far too long; the human you call Kia was sent to investigate. She made it to the surface of Tefnut but we knew she was coming and were waiting for her," Raidee explained casually.

"And Jill?"

"Well she made it closer to my home base, which was alarming I might add. I suppose that's probably because my followers stupidly left that sniveling little human man who initially ratted me out to the Alliance floating around in Hekate. The human Jill managed to put enough clues together that she put herself in harm's way; she found us and we reacted."

Shepard shook her head in sadness. She was the one who had suggested that Hackett send an agent to the Hades Nexus to investigate and Jill had done just that and had her mind stripped from her as a result. Shepard may not have liked Wickers, but that wasn't fair; who know what Wickers had been like before Raidee had twisted her.

"Do you pump them full of reaper tech like you're doing to me?" Shepard asked quietly.

"Yes; it strengthens my control over them. With you though, you're getting more because you need to be physically ready for the merging," Raidee replied.

"I won't help you; I won't merge with you," Shepard stated and met Raidee's flaming eyes. She stared at Mistress Raidee with intensity and hoped that her stare inspired fear.

"You won't have a choice; you can resist but eventually your mind will give in to the force of the merge," Raidee remarked and turned back into the shadows.

"You should've killed me," Shepard whispered and lowered her head. All her life she had faced insurmountable obstacles and had overcome them. This however, was different. She was being held hostage by a Reaper monster that had plans to use Shepard to create new monsters. Shepard couldn't think of how she could escape from this situation. She didn't dream of outside help for fear that anyone who attempted to help her would fall under the sway of the Mistress. The only solution she could foresee was her own death and even that wasn't something she could make happen in her current situation. She was stuck.

"Nonsense…now I'm sending your Alliance friend, Jill I believe, to put you back to sleep and watch over you," Raidee emerged from the shadows and stood before Shepard.

Raidee leaned in so that her face was only inches away from Shepard's. In a flash Shepard saw Raidee's hand move in a blur toward the arm that had the tubing hooked up to it. Shepard felt a brief stab of pain in her shoulder as Raidee's hand slowed. Raidee brought her hand to her face and there on the end of one of her long and sharp nails was a drop of very dark red blood; Shepard's blood. Raidee brought the bloodied nail to her lips and licked it off. She closed her eyes as if savoring the taste making Shepard feel all the more ill.

Opening her eyes a moment later, she backed away from Shepard. She then remarked, "Close, but not ready yet." Then, Raidee walked back toward the darkness of the gloomy little room and seemed to evaporate into the shadows. Shepard was left in silence.

A few sorrowful tears slipped out of Shepard's eyes. Faces of people she cared about flashed before her mind's eye as she sat in empty silence. She thought of Garrus then and how she had wanted to tell him about Liara's confession and how it was likely she'd never be able to do that now. All she had wanted was to live a normal life with Garrus after the Reaper's destruction. She didn't think that was too much to ask; she'd thought Fate would be kind enough to grant her that wish…but Fate apparently wasn't done with her just yet.

"Lamenting the past Shepard?" A voice called from the shadows.

Shepard's head shot up and she stared in the direction of the voice, but all that met her searching eyes was the dimness of the room.

"Who's there?" Shepard asked her voice wavering with emotion.

Jillian Wickers stepped out from the shadows a syringe in hand. She was still dressed in her skin tight cat suit and her blonde hair was loosely pulled into a ponytail. Wickers looked exactly the same as when Shepard had last seen her.

"The Mistress said you were due for a sedative and instructed me to deliver it to you," Jill explained and slowly walked up to Shepard's disheveled form. She quickly shoved the needle into Shepard's bare shoulder. Shepard almost relished in the stab of the needle.

"Do you remember who you were before Raidee controlled you, Wickers?" Shepard asked quietly not even flinching as Wickers pulled the needle out of Shepard's shoulder and took a few steps backwards.

"My life before the Mistress was pointless; I was nothing until She uplifted me," Jill replied in an emotionless voice.

Shepard wasn't feeling the effects of the sedative just yet. "That's a shame; I bet you were actually likable before she got her hands on you...I guess I could be wrong; you could've always been irritating."

"I was nothing before I served Her," Jill railed on.

"Did you ever really have a thing for Garrus or was that all for show?" Shepard asked now becoming aware of the first signs of the sedatives effects coursing through her body.

"I was instructed to make life difficult to you; make you question your alliances. Other than my time on the Normandy interacting with Garrus Vakarian, I haven't really been involved with turians," Jill admitted.

"Damn shame…turians, they're…fun," Shepard said feeling her mind willingly reach for the fog of the sedative .

"I wouldn't know," Jill murmured.

With the sedative now taking effect, Shepard found speech difficult but tried to continue regardless. "Wickers…you, you…should do me…a favor…you should…kill me…or free me…so…I…can…kill…that asari bitch."

A sharp slap across the face jarred Shepard's mind back to its senses briefly. She focused her eyes on Jill who stared at her angrily her hand still raised in the air from hitting Shepard. Shepard felt anger rise in her briefly before the numbness from the sedative returned.

"How dare you suggest such a thing! You are nothing in comparison to the Mistress! The fact that she wants to preserve you at all is amazing because you are not worth the air you're breathing," Jill spat at Shepard and slapped her again.

Shepard's head lolled to the side and she felt the void of unconsciousness now heavily pulling at her but not before she could respond to Jill's statement.

"Maybe you were always a bitch…maybe not…either way...before all of this is said and done…I'm gonna kill you're Mistress…and you too I think," Shepard promised and managed to give Wickers a nasty little smile before unconsciousness swept over her.


	23. Chapter 23 A Time for Action

**A/N: **Dude...what is wrong with that guy on Deadliest Catch? I can't make up my mind on whether it's a stroke, heart attack, anneurysm, or some kind of brain bleed. It really looked like he was doing some kind of posturing, like maybe decerebrate or decorticate...but I don't know and they won't tell us! They keep covering other stories! How irritating! Whew...sorry about that, getting off track again. So here is chapter 23 which I enjoyed writing and hopefully everyone will enjoy reading. So yes read, please leave comments, and the most important thing ever...ENJOY! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all charcters belong to Bioware.

* * *

Twenty-Three: A Time for Action

Garrus Vakarian stood at the head of the table in the briefing room. Anxious expressions met his determined gaze.

"It's time to form a plan; it's time to get Shepard back!" Garrus exclaimed poignantly. The individuals standing around the table nodded.

"Do we have enough to go on? I mean just a few days ago we didn't know much at all," Kaiden asked hesitantly. He was standing at the opposite end of the table and looked nervous. While he wanted to get Shepard back as much as everyone else, he was also the most nervous about doing it.

"She's been gone a week now Kaiden and that's a week too long. We've got enough evidence to track her down now. It's time we bring back our Commander," Garrus answered and looked firmly at Kaiden.

"I've managed to put together a great deal of data about Shepard's probable location," Liara explained from Kaiden's side. When they'd first entered the briefing room to discuss she had strayed away from Garrus. Garrus wouldn't have wanted her near him anyway and she didn't want to have to answer questions he'd inevitably ask her.

"Liara is right. In the week that Shepard's been gone I've also put together a lot of intel. With EDI's help we're fairly certain on where she's been taken," Garrus explained and looked toward EDI's physical platform that was standing next to him.

"Garrus is correct; using Shepard's Spectre status has allowed me to access confidential files on Lieutenant Wickers that greatly aided me in finding a probable location. Please observe," EDI gestured forward to the center of the table. A holographic image of the Hades Nexus popped up. The holo zoomed out of the Hekate system and zoomed into the Pamyat system and narrowed in on one of the planets there.

"This is where we think Shepard might be," Garrus stated and pointed to the little planet displayed on the holograph.

"It is called Patsayev; a derelict space station orbits the planet that at one point held a large population of scientists working on rare minerals brought in from the planet's surface. Patsayev itself has localized clusters of colonies that continue to mine and research the minerals found in the Planet's core," EDI explained.

Vega scratched his head and looked from the holo to EDI. "That's great EDI…how does that help us find Shepard?"

"A few of my sources who had spent time in the Pamyat subsystem recently reported sightings of marauders and cannibals. While there have been other reports of left over Reaper forces, this source claimed that there were a greater number of marauders and cannibals than expected. Based on this information, I'd say there's a fair chance Shepard is being kept somewhere here," Liara interjected from Kaiden's side.

"What makes you think it's Reapers?" Vega asked, confused.

"It will always be the Reapers; they can never truly be defeated," Javik pronounced from the table. Javik had arrived on the Normandy about two days before. He claimed that once he had heard the news about Shepard he'd decided to volunteer to help in any search and rescue efforts. No one on the Normandy was really thrilled about his arrival since he'd always been cryptic and rude, but the extra muscle was a plus.

"Shut it Javik," Garrus snapped.

"You would be wise to—" Javik was cut off by Vega.

"As I was saying…how does the planet of Patsayev help us?" Vega asked.

"Garrus asked me to try to find the location from where Lieutenant Wickers sent her last correspondence with Admiral Hackett. He found it odd that her last correspondence was delayed and lacked the thoroughness of her previous reports. After some effort I managed to trace the message to the Pamyat system and somewhere either on the planet Patsayev or the derelict system orbiting it," EDI clarified.

"So basically the information is pointing to Hades, so I guess you're right; it's time to make a plan," Kaiden mused as he watched the glowing holo flicker.

"A plan…" Cortez murmured from farther down the table.

Garrus who had also been watching the holo, now snapped his sharp eyes away from it and back to the individuals at the table. Time was running out; they'd already lost a week and that was too long in Garrus's opinion. They weren't going to get anywhere by sitting around staring at the holographic image that revealed Shepard's possible location.

"Now that we've all heard the facts it's time to come up with a plan of action," Garrus paused before continuing with the next portion of what he was going to say. "Now, it's time to go and get her. I say we fire up the Normandy, put together a strike team and blast over to Pamyat and find her."

Murmurs and whispers arose from around the table at Garrus's suggestion. Obviously some of the crew wouldn't like it, but it was a plan and that was at least a start.

"We can't just commandeer the Normandy and take off to Hades; we have to inform the Admiral of our findings and get his assistance," Kaiden argued. Kaiden didn't like the idea of going against authority although he didn't like the idea of wasting time when Shepard's life was in danger either.

"We don't have time for that bureaucratic bullshit," Garrus shot back hating the idea of bringing Admiral Hackett into the mix. While he knew that Hackett would want to retrieve Shepard, it was likely that Hackett would be slow about it.

"While I agree that we need to inform the Alliance and Admiral Hackett, I think expediting those actions would be best," Liara remarked.

"Hackett brought Wickers right to Shepard and in my opinion was the catalyst for this whole damn mess. Why bring him in at all? We should just go get her _ourselves_," Garrus exclaimed in frustration.

"While I'm all for getting the Commander sooner than later, I also think we should bring the Admiral in on this one," Vega added quietly.

"It would be in our best interests to inform the Alliance and the Council for that matter. The more help the Normandy has the higher likelihood of success," EDI stated with confidence.

"We still have the turian cruiser the Primarch loaned to us. I think that's all the help we need. The sooner we get to the Hades Nexus the better," Garrus said and crossed his arms.

"Hackett left me in charge and while I want to find Shepard as much as you do Garrus, we're going to bring him in on this," Kaiden announced and looked to EDI. Garrus shot Kaiden an angry glance.

"Fine, bring him in…but don't be surprised when he wants to hold off," Garrus growled and pushed himself off and away from the table.

"EDI can you get us a link to Hackett?" Kaiden asked and looked to EDI; avoiding any eye contact with Garrus, because if looks could kill, Kaiden would certainly be dead. .

"It will take a few moments…please wait," EDI replied and was silent; the table was silent in response.

Garrus looked around the briefing room and felt his skin prickle with irritation. They were wasting time! The intel was good and all the pieces were there; all that needed to be done was seek and find. That wasn't happening however; everyone wanted to double check things and make sure it was okay to carry out a rescue mission. Sometimes doing the right thing meant making rash, hard decisions.

For a moment Garrus pictured Shepard pinned to a wall covered in bloody scratches and bruises, her face a mask of pain. He imagined some hideous Reaper creature grabbing her by the throat and threatening her; hurting her; killing her. At that thought Garrus pushed the images from his head and focused on the situation at hand. Hackett's voice and holographic image suddenly replaced the image of the Pamyat system.

"Major Alenko what can I do for you?" Hackett's holo asked.

"We have new information on Shepard, sir. We are fairly certain we know her location," Kaiden explained.

"Really? That's excellent news! Where do you think she is?" Hackett questioned.

"Well with Liara's contacts and with some good detective work by Garrus and EDI we've narrowed it down to the Hades Nexus, specifically the Pamyat subsystem. We think she's either on the planet called Patsayev or a derelict space station near Patsayev," Kaiden informed Hackett with a smile on his face. By the expression alone it seemed that Kaiden thought the conversation was going well.

"Are you certain? I'm all for sending a rescue mission for her as soon as possible, but we need to be absolutely sure before we launch into some kind of assault on Hades," Hackett mused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Our intel is good; we need to move now," Garrus stated impatiently.

"We'll move as soon as possible but first I want you," Hackett paused and gestured to Kaiden, "to compile the evidence you have so I can review it to get an idea of what kind of fire power we need to bring along."

Kaiden was silent for several minutes following Hackett's request. He looked uncomfortable as he finally managed to respond. "Sir…are you sure that's a good idea? I think we should probably act now as opposed to waiting for you to review the evidence we've uncovered. Shepard's been gone a week and if she's still alive…well she probably won't be for long."

"While the Commander is brave it is unlikely she has evaded death by the Reapers with how long she has been gone. Her life is forfeit," Javik added. Almost everyone glared at him in response.

Hackett nodded as if he were about to agree with Kaiden. "I understand your concern Major but we need to be certain that she's there; otherwise we could unleash hell on a planet that has nothing to do with what we want." From across the table Garrus sighed in frustration and turned away from the table, obviously irritated.

"Are…you sure?" Kaiden questioned.

"Yes; send me all the information you've compiled, and I'll get back to you within the hour. Hackett out." Hackett's image faded and everyone was left staring at the now empty table.

"You see? We tell him we know where she is and he wastes time! We need to go now regardless of what that bastard has to say," Garrus snapped and looked pointedly at Kaiden.

Kaiden seemed torn for several minutes; unable to respond. His eyes seemed to dart from person to person.

"Okay…we send the information to Hackett, but then we move on our own…but we need a better plan than the one you came up with Garrus," Kaiden stated and looked expectantly at the people around him.

"Fair enough," Garrus murmured and moved back to the table. Everyone was quiet as they seemed to think over what was the right approach to rescue Shepard from relatively unknown circumstances.

"Bringing the turian vessel that the Primarch issued to watch over us would be very helpful…we do not know what we will encounter when we engage either the derelict space station or the planet; the larger number of forces the better possible outcomes," EDI reported.

"Not a problem; the Primarch put them under my command so if I say for them to follow us they will," Garrus remarked.

"I think a small strike force should be deployed initially to see what we're dealing with; then send in the bigger guns," Vega suggested.

Kaiden nodded his head at each suggestion and seemed to be thinking. Garrus who was still across the table seemed to growing more antsy by the second.

"Okay…we jump through the Relay to Pamyat with the turian ship in tow. Once we get there we do scans to determine if it's the planet or the space station that we're going to. Regardless of what the scans say we send a small exploratory team of one or two people to both places. After we send in the exploratory team and they report back to us which place seems more likely to be holding Shepard, we send in a more advanced team. There shouldn't be an army waiting for us…something like that would've grabbed the attention of someone a long time ago," Kaiden finally announced and looked around the table at the faces around him to see if they agreed.

"I can work with that," Garrus said.

"I'm game," Vega added.

"May the goddess watch over us," Liara commented.

"Our odds for success aren't very high," EDI remarked. No one chose to acknowledge EDI's cold and logical facts.

"Alright everybody, do any last minute things you wanted to do…we're jumping in twenty," Kaiden declared. The crew started to shuffle about and out of the briefing room. Garrus lingered behind when all the rest had exited.

"How are you going to handle things with Hackett?" Garrus asked moderately calmer since hearing that they would move out soon.

Kaiden paused briefly and sighed. "I'm gonna send him the information he asked for and also send him a message explaining to him why we're running off with the Normandy…not much more I can do I guess."

"You're doing the right thing, Kaiden; for once you pulled your head out of your ass and you're in the game," Garrus said with just a hint of praise in his voice. Kaiden frowned at Garrus's statement.

"I don't have my head in my ass."

"Actually you do a lot of the time; you barely gave Shepard a second look when you found out she was with Cerberus…at least now you're finally doing something right."

"I didn't trust Cerberus. Yes, I should have looked at things differently but that didn't happen. Can't change it now," Kaiden added thoughtfully.

"No you can't," Garrus replied and gave Kaiden a respectful nod and then turned and exited the briefing room.

As Garrus left the war room he started heading in the direction of the elevator so he could get to the third deck, the crew quarters. He needed to see Liara one more time before they went into battle.

A short ride later on the elevator and Garrus was at Liara's door waiting for it to open and let him in. As the door did whoosh open it was not Liara who greeted him but Feron.

"Hello…can I help you with something?" Feron asked politely. Garrus frowned.

"Do you normally answer the door for Liara?" Garrus asked curiously. He watched as the drell in front of him wrinkled his forehead and opened his mouth to speak.

Just as Feron was about to reply Liara called out from behind him. "It's alright Feron; it's just Garrus…I'll go talk to him; you go ahead and stay in here."

Garrus saw Liara's blue form rise from the back of her quarters and walk towards he and Feron. She looked very attractive in the loose fitting dress she'd recently taken to wearing. Her skin also looked a little different; more attractive. There seemed to be a blue glow about her as if she were constantly channeling her biotic energy. While Garrus had never been one to go gaga for asari, especially Liara, he couldn't help but appreciate the new look of hers.

Liara gave Feron a reassuring smile and a peck on the cheek a gesture that surprised Garrus. He had never been sure what exactly the two were to each other. Now he considered the fact that maybe they were lovers.

Stepping out into the hall with Garrus, Liara waited for the doors to her quarters to close before she chose to address Garrus.

"I'm glad we are finally going to rescue Shepard; I'm certain she'll be on Pamyat or the space station," Liara remarked pleasantly. Garrus however, was not here to discuss the mission; he wanted answers.

"I'm not here for idle chit chat Liara; I'm here because I want answers," Garrus explained with utter seriousness.

Liara blinked innocently at him, her blue eyes looking confused but also worried. "As I've told you before, I can't tell you what you want to know; it's not my place."

"We both know that's bullshit. There's a real chance that when we find her," he paused, hesitating and hating what he was about to say. "There's a chance that when we find her she may not even be _alive_. If that is the case Dr. T'soni I want to know, and I want to know now, what you told her." Garrus's pale blue eyes were filled with assertiveness.

"That thought haunts me…I pray to the goddess that it isn't so," Liara deflected, shaking her head.

"I don't care about your goddess; _I want answers." _

"No."

"Dammit Liara, just tell me!"

"I can't."

Garrus glared at her and took hold of Liara's shoulders and stared into the depths of Liara's blue eyes. Liara looked at him nervously and struggled in his tight grip.

"Garrus let—"

"Tell me what you know!" Garrus yelled at Liara. Feron abruptly stepped outside of Liara's quarters and stopped and stared when he saw the scene before him. Upon seeing Feron, Garrus released Liara and took a step back. Feron walked over to Liara's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders protectively.

"I think you should leave," Feron said.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you Liara," Garrus murmured and turned to leave, but not before Liara called something out to him.

"By the goddess I wish I could be there with you when you find her, but I won't be joining you; I'm staying behind," Liara called out.

Garrus turned around and stared at her. She wasn't coming along? That seemed very out of character for her. Liara had been one of the ones that had been doing endless research into finding Shepard and had been for the idea of doing something as soon as possible. Yet here she had decided to stay behind and not search for her friend? It wasn't like her at all.

"Why would you stay behind?" Garrus asked his voice quiet with disbelief.

With Feron still at her side Liara replied, "I think I will be more effective from the Normandy than on the front lines. Kaiden is a biotic so you won't really miss my talents."

"Liara has been a little under the weather since she returned from Thessia," Feron added in her defense. Liara gave Feron an sickeningly sweet look. Garrus didn't miss the shared expression between the two and thought he might vomit in response.

"For four weeks? You've been under the weather for _four weeks?_ Don't you think that's a little odd?" Garrus asked incredulously. Liara had been back from Thessia for nearly four weeks now; it seemed unlikely to him that she would still be under the weather.

"Liara got a higher dose of radiation on Thessia and is still recovering," Feron explained.

Garrus almost snorted at that response. He didn't believe what Feron had said for a second. Growing up on a slightly radioactive world had attuned Garrus's body to any and all kinds of radiation. While he wasn't one who would be able to survive or enjoy heavy doses of radiation, whenever he came into contact with low to moderate levels he always knew it. When lower or moderate levels of radiation were present, Garrus was drawn to the source. It was some innate urge he had and it had probably come from his exposure and adjustment to radiation on Palaven; his urge to seek out a slightly radioactive source was probably due to some unconscious desire to return to his place of origin.

"I was speaking to Liara and I know that what you just said was a lie. I'm a turian, remember? We can sense radiation from a mile away," Garrus replied with narrowed eyes.

Both Feron and Liara seemed to struggle with some kind of response but failed to do so before Garrus spoke up first.

"I don't know why Shepard keeps you around as a friend when you are apparently a liar and care so little for her. Whatever it is you're keeping from is _so _big that you won't even help us look for her? What kind of friend does that make you? You don't deserve to have a friend like her," Garrus said in an icy voice and then shot both Liara and Feron a threatening glare.

"Garrus—" Liara began but was cut off.

"I don't care what you have to say, Liara. Consider this our official goodbye as I don't want to have anything to do with you in the future," Garrus interrupted. He gave one last look at the worried looking drell and the very ashamed asari before he finally turned and left.

As he continued walking away from Liara and Feron his comm buzzed with the sound of Joker's voice.

"Kaiden's up on the bridge and we're ready to go if you are," Joker stated.

"Ready," Garrus replied and made his way for the elevator.

Once in the silence of the elevator Garrus tried to push away the foreboding knot he had in the pit of his stomach. Whatever happened he would get Shepard back; even if it killed him.


	24. Chapter 24 The Beginning of the End

**A/N: **Chapter 24 hot off the press! This chapter is basically the start of what is probably going to be two or three very fast paced chapters. This one starts out marginally slow and then gets pretty fast. I think it should be a fairly quick read since there is a lot of that happens. Well I hope everyone enjoys reading it; I certainly enjoyed writing it. Well now the time has come for everyone to read away! So yes, read, comment please, and the most important thing in the world when reading a piece of literature, enjoy yourselves! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware.

* * *

Twenty-Four: Beginning of the End

How quickly things can change; one moment everything had been going her way and then everything changed. She wasn't sure how it had happened, where she had made a mistake, but everything was different now; there was little time left to do what needed to be done.

Raidee had enacted her plan; she had kidnapped Shepard and filled her full of specialized reaper tech that would prepare her for the upcoming merging. All had gone as planned; no one was the wiser to her current progress. There hadn't been any problems along the way other than Shepard's constant resistance, but that was an expected obstacle. What she had not anticipated however, was being found and facing the threat of all her plans going awry.

Shepard had been under sedation for the better part of a week now and had received large doses of the reaper tech, but not enough to fully prepare her for the merge. Raidee needed Shepard's body to be filled to excess with reaper tech so that when the merge happened her mind would more readily accept the idea of the two creating a new blood line of Reapers. Where things were right now, Shepard would still be mostly human; just with added abilities.

It had been just yesterday that Raidee had received the terrible news that things had changed; the worst had occurred. One of her followers that was stationed in the Hekate subsystem had reported to her that the Normandy and a turian cruiser had arrived through the Relay. The subject hadn't been able to provide more details except that the Normandy was there and that they had stopped for fueling and appeared to be heading deeper into the nebula; to another subsystem there.

When she had heard this news she had initially been calm; so the Normandy had made it to Hades, that didn't mean they would find her home base. But that had changed quickly enough. On that very morning Raidee had been informed that the Normandy was now officially in Pamyat and quickly approaching Patsayev; the closer to Patsayev meant the closer to her.

For the two years that she had been a child of the Father, she had been in control of what was known as a 'derelict space station'. The supposed derelict station had once housed many people but was mostly a place where scientific studies could be carried out. The science labs had been very handy during her reign. But now her reign was in jeopardy; the Normandy would soon find her; that she was certain of. While most others that found the derelict station moved on past it, she knew the Normandy would do no such thing. The Normandy by itself didn't pose that great of a threat; Raidee had many followers, over one hundred subjects. The Normandy in combination with a turian cruiser however, posed a much larger threat; one that could potentially end everything she had worked for.

All the plans she had laid; time she had patiently waited; all was now facing the threat of total destruction. Raidee knew that if she had any hope of successfully carrying out her plans before the Normandy found her, she would have to act. Although she knew that Shepard would resist her and make the merging nearly impossible, she knew that it must be done; ahead of schedule or not. It had to happen; it was what must be done.

* * *

Somewhere in the distance someone was calling her name. Shepard didn't know who it was and felt as if the voice she heard was miles away and unimportant. She stood in a field of long grass and wild flowers. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing; her hair rustled in the breeze and the heavy fragrance of flowers filled her nose.

Shepard looked down at the bright green grass and brushed the tips with her fingers. The pointed ends tickled her fingers and made her smile. It seemed like it had been ages since she'd seen the sun shining or had been able to enjoy the sweet scent of wild flowers. All of her worries and concerns were temporarily gone and the only thing that filled her mind was the endless landscape of sun, grass, and flowers.

The voice called to her again and Shepard turned her head in the direction of it. The only thing that met her eyes was golden rays cascading down from the sun. She was struck by the serenity the landscape provided her and once again she forgot the voice that called her name.

"Shepard!" The voice called again and this time Shepard felt her face sting as if she'd been slapped. She touched one of her hands to her face feeling heat there, as if she had truly had been struck. Shepard looked up at the sky and was alarmed to see that the blue of the sky began to darken; the sun began to fade.

"Wake up!" The voice called again and Shepard felt her ears begin to ring as if the person who was yelling at her was right beside her. Shepard put her hands over her ears trying to block out the sound, but the effort was in vain. The voice seemed to seep through the cracks between her fingers and into her ears. Shepard closed her eyes and willed the voice away.

"Wake up Shepard!" The voice shouted and Shepard clearly felt a hand strike her cheek.

Shepard's eyes snapped open in response and she realized that the world of sun and flowers had been a dream or sedative driven delusion. Taking in her surroundings, Shepard realized that she was still in her dim little room, shackled to her chair of captivity. She still had large black tubing poking out of her elbow, groin, and chest. Shepard shivered in the cold air of her cell. The stained white tank top she'd been stripped down to was now torn on the side with the tubing, completely exposing her tattered and torn sports bra. Her legs were bare; naked except for the boy shorts she wore so that her femoral vein could be accessed.

With her mind still trying to adjust to the conscious world, Shepard looked around and saw a very angry and flustered Wickers standing before her. Wickers looked nervous and edgy; one of her hands red from slapping Shepard several times. Behind Wickers stood a little asari woman who looked even more anxious than Wickers did. Shepard felt confusion cloud her mind at the sight of the two obviously disturbed women.

"W-what…what's going on?" Shepard asked hoarsely. She didn't know how long she'd been out this time, but judging by the hoarseness of her voice it had been a while.

Wickers sighed in irritation and replied, "We need you awake; the Mistress has called for you." Behind her the little asari woman nodded.

"Why?" Shepard questioned still confused by her rude awakening.

The little asari woman spoke up this time. "We don't know; the Mistress has requested your presence and asked that we retrieve you in a conscious state."

"She wants to have a heart to heart again? Tell her I said she can go to hell," Shepard muttered bitterly. She gave Wickers a defiant look challenging her to slap her again. Wickers raised her hand.

"Don't damage her!" The asari woman yelped.

"A little slap won't kill her," Wickers replied darkly.

"You've slapped her six times already…don't hit her again!" The asari commanded.

"Do you enjoy hitting defenseless women Wickers?" Shepard mocked and gave Wickers a taunting smile. As Shepard smiled she could feel one of her lips crack open; obviously Wickers had been hitting hard enough to cause damage.

"You bitch," Wickers sneered and then did give Shepard one more slap across the face. Shepard's teeth snapped together on her tongue and she tasted blood.

Spitting blood onto the floor Shepard turned her now bruised face toward Wickers and managed to give her another taunting smile as if to prove her point; her teeth were stained with dark blood.

"You done?" Shepard asked.

"She's done…let's get moving Jill," the asari answered for Wickers and then moved around the back side of Shepard's chair. Wickers still loomed above Shepard an expression of disgust on her face.

"Make sure her tubing stays in place," the asari commented and started fiddling with the back of Shepard's chair.

Wickers lifted her eyes from Shepard and in the direction of the asari. "We have to make sure she's still chained; the Mistress didn't want her getting out of control."

"She will be," the asari replied.

"What's the Reaper bitch got in store for me today?" Shepard asked, although she doubted anyone would choose to answer her.

Neither Wickers nor the asari answered Shepard; they just continued working on the chair Shepard was shackled to. Eventually the two women removed Shepard from her chair and her shackles only to be put in more. A large pole, much like the ones used by dog catchers, was hooked up to shackles placed around Shepard's neck and waist binding her to the pole. Manacles were placed around Shepard's wrists, binding them together. Looser shackles were put around Shepard's ankles that would allow her to take miniature strides to that she could walk. The IV pole holding Shepard's black fluid filled IV bags was in tow behind her.

Once Shepard was up on her feet and completely shackled the two women tried to get her walking and heading in the direction of Raidee. Shepard initially had trouble with walking since she'd been pinned in her chair for what seemed like forever and needed several minutes to regain the strength in her legs. Wickers seemed endlessly annoyed with Shepard's slowly adjusting body. Eventually Shepard was able to move properly and the two women began escorting her out of her cell. Wickers was directing the pole and the asari was pushing the IV pole at Shepard's side.

"So what does your Mistress want with me today?" Shepard asked as the two walked along with Shepard.

"We don't know," the asari answered although judging by her body language Shepard thought she knew more than she was letting on. Both Wickers and the asari still seemed on edge.

"What's go you two so jumpy?" Shepard asked trying to sound casual. As the two women continued walking her, Shepard became aware of the growing strength within her. Already the fog of the sedative had worn off and the strength had returned to her muscles. Her vision and hearing seemed to be working double time as she felt she could see and hear better than she ever had in the past. Another thing Shepard became aware of was the growing biotic power hidden deep inside her body. If she could just get a little more time to recover, Shepard was sure she could break free of her restraints and channel her biotic abilities to unleash hell on those that tried to prevent her from breaking free.

"Some unexpected things happened, that's all," the asari answered but didn't look at Shepard.

"Unexpected things? That's interesting," Shepard let her voice trail off and tried to watch for any reaction by the asari or Wickers.

"Unusual occurrences that's it. You don't need to know anything else," Wickers snapped and jerked on Shepard's pole to get her to move faster.

Shepard only slightly resisted Wickers jerking so as not to alert her to Shepard's growing strength. As the two women continued moving Shepard along, Shepard became aware of distant voices that her enhanced hearing was able to pick up.

"They're too close, but we must do what the Mistress asks; hold the line no matter what," a voice from far away stated in a rush.

"I heard they were deploying ships," another voice remarked.

"They can't possibly know where we are—" the voice was cut off when Wickers pulled at Shepard's pole again forcing her to lose focus on the faraway voices.

Shepard looked over to Wickers who was now standing at a rusty looking door. During their walk Shepard hadn't paid as much attention as she should have to where they were going. All she'd been aware of was that they'd left her cell and had walked through a narrow, dimly lit hallway. She hadn't seen anyone else in the hall and hadn't been aware of how close they were coming to the door they were now in front of. If Shepard strained her ears she could hear footsteps beyond the door and muffled voices. One of the voices that Shepard heard she felt for certain belonged to the Mistress. Fear blasted through Shepard in response.

Wickers banged on the door and a moment later it whooshed open revealing a very nervous looking salarian standing in the doorway. He ushered the trio in and then quickly shut the door behind them. Once inside, Shepard quickly took in her surroundings. This room was also on the darker side but had better lighting than the previous places Shepard had seen. Directly in front of her Shepard saw a large window that overlooked a planet. At seeing this, Shepard realized that she was on some kind of space faring vessel. She continued to look around but felt her heart stop when she spotted Raidee standing in one of the darkened corners of the room.

Raidee stood in a far corner of the room her flaming eyes closed as if she was lost in deep thought. Shepard felt her heart skip a beat and took another look around the room. There was another chair much like the one she'd been held in before in the center of the room. Next to the chair was a table with a tray of instruments that made Shepard's skin crawl. Other than the chair and the tray of instruments the room was bare of furniture.

"The time has come. I regret that it must be now when you are not ready; but the time is now; it _must _be now," Raidee whispered from her corner.

"What are you talking about 'the time is now'? Just what is it you're planning on doing _now_?" Shepard asked trying to keep her voice level. Wickers and the asari seemed to grow tense around Shepard, as if they expected her to make a sudden movement. Wickers who was holding the pole that connected to Shepard's neck and waist, gripped it tighter, pulling the shackle around Shepard's neck taught against her throat.

"We're running out of time. You're friends have managed to find us; something I failed to foresee," Raidee answered and left her corner. She strode forward and stood about a foot in front of Shepard and seemed to carefully examine her before she continued. "The merge must happen now before your comrades discover our location."

"What! They're here!" Shepard asked alarmed. While a part of her was thrilled at the prospect of rescue another part of her greatly feared them falling under Raidee's sway if they attempted a rescue.

"Yes; they've even brought a ship full of turian bastards to help them…just one ship would only pose a minor threat, but _this, this _poses a significant threat. We must merge now," Raidee stated and moved closer to Shepard. Shepard tried to take a step backward but her shackles made the movement impossible.

"Leave them alone; let them go," Shepard commanded angrily. Raidee paused.

"If I leave them alone will you join with me willingly?"

Without any hesitation Shepard replied, "No."

"Then I see no point in preserving them; they will be the first to die when the merging is complete," Raidee stated, blood lust growing in her eyes.

"_That's _not going to happen," Shepard replied and decided that now was the time for her to take action.

Much to the surprise of everyone around her, Shepard raised her shackled wrists and forcefully yanked them apart, severing the connection between the two. A second later her hands were at the shackle around her throat and tore it off. She whirled around when she was free of the shackle around her throat, knocking the pole out of Wickers hands. Wickers looked stunned as the pole slipped from her fingers; she was so stunned that she failed to see Shepard's biotically charged fist slam into her cheek.

The moment Wickers was down Shepard ripped apart the shackle that tethered her waist to the pole. With her hands, throat, and wrists free Shepard spun around to face the shocked expressions of the asari, salarian, and the Mistress.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, Shepard savagely ripped the tubing out of her chest, arm, and groin. She felt pain stab at the former insertion sites and saw very dark blood pour out of the bloody wounds. Despite the free flowing blood and the pain, Shepard paid little attention to them and focused her attention on the three in front of her who were now ready to react. The salarian was rushing to the table with instruments on it and appeared to be attempting to draw up some kind of sedative. Raidee was charging forward and looked as if she were preparing to unleash biotic power of her own. The asari who had helped bring Shepard in was beginning to glow a magnificent blue; preparing to blast Shepard with some kind of biotic energy.

"No sedation!" Raidee screamed and continued to race forward to Shepard.

Shepard was quicker though; with the Mistress inches from her, Shepard let loose with a powerful shockwave that sent all of them, the Mistress, asari, and Salarian back several feet. The asari and salarian didn't get up immediately, but instead seemed to be temporarily immobilized on the ground. Raidee however, was much quicker to recover. She was back on her feet in no time looking at Shepard with rage filled flaming eyes.

Spinning around to face the exit, Shepard began to run toward the door only to see Wickers blocking her path. Just as she prepared to unleash her powerful Nova blast, Wickers raised the gun she had been carrying and fired off a shot. Shepard felt the bullet enter and exit her left forearm but was unfazed by it. Powered by what seemed like limitless strength, Shepard continued to move forward but was undone by the fact that her ankles were still shackled together. With her ankles still shackled together, Shepard was unable to achieve the large stride she needed to run and therefore stumbled falling to her hands and knees. Just as Shepard tried to get back up she felt someone throw themselves onto her. Shepard's hands and knees gave out from under her and she fell to her stomach.

Grunting with effort, Shepard struggled beneath the weight of the person atop her. She let out an angry cry and felt her body hum with biotic power. If she had to, she'd blast whoever it was that was on top of her straight into the air. However, before Shepard could do just that the individual pinning her to the ground flipped her onto her back so that Shepard faced her attacker. Raidee's furious expression met Shepard's wild blue eyes.

"You can't escape my pet; this is your destiny," Raidee said, her needle like teeth gritted as she continued to pin Shepard down.

"Get off of me before I kill you," Shepard snarled. She continued to wiggle and struggle beneath Raidee.

"Feel my mind; my presence; let our minds unite; our souls become one," Raidee suddenly cooed and pressed her ugly gray hands to the sides of Shepard's face.

"No!" Shepard screamed and desperately tried to shake Raidee's hands off of her face. She could feel Raidee's mind pushing at her own with fierce determination. Fueled by rage, Shepard pushed Raidee's mind back; refusing to merge with her.

"I mean no harm; feel my mind; accept unity," Raidee whispered and pressed her sharp nails into Shepard's hairline drawing blood.

Screaming with fury, Shepard turned her head from side to side desperately trying to knock Raidee off. She continued to feel Raidee's mind pushing at her own like a burglar trying to gain entrance to a locked house. Preventing Raidee from entering her mind was becoming more difficult as Raidee continued to push again and again at Shepard. Suddenly Shepard heard Raidee in her head although Raidee had not spoken aloud.

"_Join with me; let us become one and our desires unite. Together we can create a new race; a powerful race. Join me," _Raidee's voice whispered in Shepard's mind. The voice that spoke within Shepard's mind lacked the mechanical sound that Raidee's real voice had; the voice in her head was soft, almost as if Liara were talking to her.

_"I refuse; you are evil and are everything I stand against. I will not create monsters with you. I will die before I let that happen; and before I die I will take you with me," _Shepard's mind whispered back to Raidee. Despite the telepathic connection that had taken hold, Shepard was still barring Raidee's mind from entering her own although the task was growing exceptionally difficult.

_"Let our future become one; forget your physical body and let your eternal spirit run free with mine as we create the future," _Raidee purred.

_"Get the fuck out of my head, you psychotic bitch!" _Shepard's mind snapped in response.

With one last burst of energy, Shepard violently forced Raidee from her mind. She felt Raidee's mental touch leave her mind completely and for a moment she was completely free. Raidee's hands had also left Shepard's face and when Shepard looked up she saw pain swimming in Raidee's blue flaming eyes; pain that was mixed with absolute fury, however.

"You will merge!" Raidee screeched like a banshee and once again pressed her hands to Shepard's face. Shepard struggled but couldn't break the hold of Raidee's hands.

Once again Shepard felt Raidee's mind push against her own but this time with unimaginable force. Shepard tried to push the mental touch away but couldn't. Her mind gave way; opening up to Raidee. She felt Raidee's consciousness combine with her own; her mental touch wrap itself around Shepard, consuming her.

As the scene between Shepard and Raidee played out, Wickers, the asari, and the salarian watched from behind them with interest. All were silent as they watched Raidee struggle to hold Shepard down and Shepard struggle to break free. None intervened, for they knew that this was their Mistresses job. They were aware that there were intruders looming and were likely to be arriving any moment, threatening all that they had worked for. Despite all of that, they did nothing since their Mistress was now acting out her greatest desire.

"What will happen?" The asari questioned quietly.

"A new generation," the salarian answered a small smile creeping to his lips.

"A new beginning," Wickers whispered as she watched Shepard's body twitch and continue to struggle under Raidee's weight.

An alarm from the space stations VI blared overhead.

"Intruder alert; intruder alert; unauthorized aliens detected in docking bay one; intruder alert."

Despite the loud blaring alarm, the three that watched Raidee and Shepard did nothing but simply watch the diminishing struggle. The struggling slowed, and both the Mistress and Shepard seemed settled for the moment.

"It's the beginning of a new Creator," Wickers whispered.

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**F/N:** Well my apologies for the cliffhanger, but that's how I pictured it all in my mind. Don't worry; while I do enjoy making messes I also enjoy cleaning them up. As a side note, when Shepard's central line gets ripped out (the tubing in her subclavian) well...that was the really wrong way to take that out. I have it in here for dramatic effect, but in real life when we remove central lines they DO NOT come out that way. As a nurse I just had to add that. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!


	25. Chapter 25 The Merging of Minds

**A/N: **Chapter 25 and almost to 100K words, wow I kind of thought I'd never make it that far, but I did! :) Well this chapter is fast paced, and not really a cliffhanger. I hope it meets everyone's expectations. It actually took me quite a bit of time to write. Particularly one section of dialogue that I had to make sure I got right. You'll probably know it when you see it. I've got to give a little heads up though, this chapter is gory...so if you are a tender reader and not really a fan of gore then I suggest you skim some of the stuff at the end, because it's gory. Other than that I think you're good to go. It was fun to write and I hope it reads well. Have a great time reading it! Thank you thank you for all the comments! I do so enjoy reading them! :) So yes, read, comment please, and have fun!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware.

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Twenty-Five: The Merging of Minds

Shepard's mind was no longer her own; the foreign presence of Raidee seemed to fill every space of her consciousness. Shepard's thoughts, desires, and memories seemed to flow from her to Raidee. There were no secrets; nothing remained hidden; two had become one.

When the merge between Raidee and Shepard seized both of their minds Shepard's vision seemed to blacken to the outside world. All she was capable of seeing was whatever passed through the merge. At first it was a flurry of color and distortion, as if she were dropping acid or having some paranoid schizophrenic delusion. Then the distortions seemed to fade into shapes and images; memories. In her mind's eye, Shepard saw an asari, one she assumed had been Raidee before she'd become Reaper infested. The images passed through her mind in a colorful flash, making it very difficult to translate what she was seeing.

Thoughts and feelings seemed to be attached to the various images and memories that were transferred to Shepard's mind. Shepard felt Raidee's fear as she watched the memory of Raidee being abducted by Reapers and slowly transformed into the Mistress. This memory was quick and barely a blur in comparison to many of the other images, feelings, and memories that were shared with Shepard's sub consciousness.

The primary memories that seemed to pour into Shepard were those of Raidee's life as the Mistress. Shepard felt her desires to become great; her dream to create a new breed of Reaper; her hope that she could unleash hidden power within Shepard. These were the strongest feelings Shepard felt radiate from Raidee; there was no humanity in any of the desires she shared with Shepard.

While Raidee shared her memories, desires, and feelings with Shepard, Shepard was sure that her own memories and desires were being transmitted to Raidee. Shepard doubted that Raidee enjoyed or made much use of whatever she managed to get from her mind; Shepard didn't have plans for dominating the galaxy and that was all that Raidee really seemed to be interested in.

_"Feel your greatness Alexandria; with me by your side that greatness can be unlocked; you will be the most powerful living being in the universe; let our desires, like our minds, become one," _Raidee's voice caressed Shepard's mind.

While some small part of Shepard still remembered who she was, another part of her, some hidden dark part that she'd never been aware of, liked the idea of unlimited power. She didn't like the idea of sharing power with Raidee but she did like the idea of being unstoppable.

_"Give in fully to the merge; combine your desires with mine and let our souls and bodies run free from the restraints of the physical body. A creature of your strength deserves to stand above all others…joining with me will ensure that no one ever stands in your way again," _Raidee coerced.

_"Your desires differ from my own; I am an individual and while I would like to embrace my 'greatness' as you call it, I can never fully leave the restrictions of the physical body," _Shepard's mental voice responded to Raidee's prompting. Shepard could feel Raidee's mental presence prickle at her response. She didn't like that Shepard wasn't completely caving to her suggestions.

_"You forget that with the reaper tech flowing through your body and with my added essence, you, we, are capable of being set free of the physical world. Remember the Creator, the Father who created me, He was part of both the free and physical world…imagine your, our, life with that ability; to be free of physical restraints, but to return to the physical world at any time we wish. It can all be yours…just accept it; accept me; give in to me," _

For a split second Shepard felt her will, the strength and determination that had driven her all along, waver. Some part of her longed to be free of physical restraints; free of the physical body and to exist as the Creator did; existing in a world that was completely driven by the power within her. For a moment Shepard almost did give into Raidee's will; accepted Raidee and her desires as her own. A sudden memory made her pause before giving into Raidee's will however.

_It was dark, late evening perhaps; she wasn't sure. There were others present but the only one she fixated on was the man—the turian—that stood before her. She felt an urgency in her blood and a great fear that she was about to lose everything she had managed to achieve. The turian who stood before her held great significance; he knew most of her deepest secrets and had always supported her choices. She walked up to him, anxiety and fear mixing in her stomach; he looked at her expectantly. _

"_Shepard. So I guess this is…" his voice trailed off. _

_ "Just like old times?" She finished for him._

_ Sighing, and almost chuckling bitterly he said softly, "Might be the last chance we get to say that."_

_ "You think we're gonna lose?" She asked disbelieving. _

_ "No. I think we're about to kick the Reapers back into whatever black hole they crawled out of. Then we're going to retire someplace warm and tropical and live off the royalties from the vids. Maybe even find out what a turian human baby looks like," he commented, a sly look in his intense blue eyes. _

_ "I'm game. Though I think adoption's a better idea—biology may not cooperate," she answered with a smile; she liked the idea of a baby; their baby. _

_ "Hmm..I suppose there will be a lot of little krogan around soon," he remarked._

_ "We just have to beat the Reapers first," she said with a weary sigh. _

_ "James told me there's an old saying here on Earth: 'May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows your dead.' Not sure if turian heaven is the same as yours, but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there…meet me at the bar. I'm buying," he purred. _

_ "We're a team, Garrus. There's no Shepard without Vakarian so you better remember to duck," she said in response, her voice filled with emotion._

_ "Sorry, turians don't know how. But I'll improvise. And Shepard…forgive the insubordination, but your boyfriend has an order for you…come back alive. It'd be an awfully empty galaxy without you." He pulled her to him; his eyes sad; his body pleading for her safety. _

_ They shared a kiss; an embrace. _

_ "Goodbye Garrus. And if I'm up there in that bar and you're not, I'll be looking down. You'll never be alone," she whispered her voice cracking from looming tears. _

_ "Never," he whispered as he watched her go. _

Understanding washed over Shepard then; she suddenly remembered the event she was reliving. It had been her heartfelt goodbye with Garrus. Leaving him had broken her heart and she'd decided the moment she walked away from him that she would make it her goal to return to him. Other memories filled her mind then; Kaiden's goofy smile; Liara's timid vibrant blue eyes; Joker's sharp sense of humor; EDI's no nonsense logic; Vega's beefed up muscles. The Mistress had taken her away from them, away from Garrus; away from everyone. As this understanding swept over Shepard her whole sense of being made up its mind; she would oppose Raidee; she would not join with her.

Sensing Shepard's growing resistance Raidee panicked and attempted to grasp hold of Shepard's mind with renewed vigor. But no matter how hard she tried to seize hold of Shepard's mind, she was unable to; Shepard's mind was slippery as an eel and whenever Raidee thought she had a grasp on it, it would slip away from her.

"_No! Remember the power you have! That can only be unlocked if you and I join…we __**must **__join! It is your destiny!" _Raidee's mental voice screamed in Shepard's mind.

Shepard let her own mind open up briefly to Raidee so that she could respond to her. "_Fuck you." _

The second the mental words were delivered to Raidee, Shepard forcefully pushed Raidee from her mind. She imagined putting up castle walls around her mind; barring Raidee's entry. She could feel Raidee's mental presence try to hold on, refusing to let the link break, but Shepard's resolve and strength won.

Normal vision returned to her then; she saw Raidee still atop her, her blue flame eyes wide with shock. Shepard felt new energy surge through her system. Raidee had filled her full of lots and lots of reaper tech that had enhanced Shepard's own natural abilities. Shepard's biotics now rivaled any asari's abilities; her strength was on par with a krogans; her sense of smell and sight that of a turians. Raidee's insistence on filling Shepard to the brim with reaper tech was going to backfire; it wouldn't help Raidee to possess Shepard as she had planned; it would instead aid Shepard in destroying anything that stood in her way, including Raidee.

With renewed vigor, Shepard channeled her biotic energy; summoning vast amounts. Her body started to glow a brilliant blue and Shepard felt a smile come to her lips as Raidee stared at her in horror. It was then that Shepard forced the Mistress off of her and into the air with a forceful blast of biotic energy. The blast was very similar to that of a Nova, but unlike the Nova, Shepard didn't drain her barrier; in fact her barrier was completely intact making her no less vulnerable.

Raidee flew into the air with blue sparks tailing her until she landed in a heap several feet away from Shepard. Once Raidee landed, Shepard was up on her feet in no time facing the three onlookers that had been watching the attempted merge. All three, the salarian, asari, and Wickers just seemed to stare at Shepard in shock. They seemed dumbfounded by the fact that Shepard had outdone their Mistress.

"Show's over," Shepard remarked and before any of them could react she let loose with a biotic Shockwave right in their direction. The shockwave collided with all three of them, knocking them to the ground like bowling pins. Shepard gave a triumphant smile and quickly moved forward to grab the gun Wickers had been sporting. As Shepard snatched up the gun that was safely stowed in a holster on Wickers' hip, Wickers sluggishly turned her head in Shepard's direction.

"Don't," Wickers coughed, obviously still heavily rattled from the Shockwave.

"Not really sorry," Shepard replied and took the gun. She gave a quick glance in the direction of where Raidee had landed. Raidee was only now starting to move and Shepard took that as her sign to get moving.

With the speed of the swiftest salarian, Shepard was out the door and in the hall in a flash. She quickly shut the door behind her and started a rapid jog down the narrow hall, alert to anyone who might bar her path. Alarms blared from overhead and yellow caution lighting was now illuminating the floor of the hall she was sprinting down.

"Alert; alert; intruder alert in docking bay one and two; alert; intruder alert on deck two; recommend caution," the VI announced overhead.

Shepard stopped briefly and listened to the VI continue to give alerts. She stood at a crossroads; she could go left or right, either way she was unfamiliar with. Taking a moment to breathe, she quieted her body so that she might be able to hear better. At first all Shepard could hear was the rapid bump bump of her heart, but then her hearing seemed to expand and she could hear beyond the hall she was standing in.

To her left she heard gunfire and shouting. Obviously there was something going on in that direction; something she might not want to get involved in. To her right was silence. She could hear no voices, gunfire, or movement to the right and Shepard liked the idea of a quieter hallway. Shepard thought it was likely that at the end of this hallway there was probably something like an elevator, and an elevator would be able to take her to a docking bay or an escape pod. Either choice she liked.

Shepard turned right.

Now sprinting down another long hallway, Shepard realized that she could hear movement coming from a room that was on one of her sides. She slowed her run and stared at a door on the left side of the hall. There was someone in there. Taking a slow step backward, Shepard intended to move slowly and stealthily away from the room and whoever was hidden inside, but the person inside decided to make things difficult.

The asari councilor spilled out of the room in a rush her eyes wide with alarm. She spared Shepard only a momentary glance before she took on a blue glow and released a blue orb of biotic energy in Shepard's direction. Shepard however, was more than ready to take on such obstacles. Seconds before the blast would've impacted with Shepard, she blazed blue for a just a moment and released a large biotic barrier around herself that absorbed the asari councilor's biotic blast. The asari councilor stared at Shepard in shock; humans couldn't put up barriers like that, with the exception of Jack.

"Surprise," Shepard purred and lowered her barrier and then pointed Wickers gun at the councilor. "You're coming with me." The asari councilor just continued standing and staring at Shepard. Shepard sighed in irritation and grabbed the councilor's arm and started dragging her down the hallway.

"Shepard…the Mistress…you really need to get back to her; she's not happy," the councilor mumbled and tried to turn her head around to face Shepard.

"I know, but she probably won't want to see me again…because the next time I see her I will kill her," Shepard said lethally and continued pushing the asari forwards.

"But Shepard, she doesn't mean you any harm. Her ideas are amazing; I don't know why more of us haven't considered what she's doing. She's really an amazing woman," the councilor gushed.

Shepard snorted in disgust. "That's the indoctrination talking, Councilor," she paused as they neared the end of the hall. It split in two directions again. "Which way to an escape pod or the docking bay?"

"The elevator is down the right," the councilor answered.

"Good," Shepard murmured and the two turned right.

The two continued walking down the hall for some time and eventually the elevator was in sight. As they walked, the councilor remained silent which didn't bother Shepard since she wasn't in the mood to hear more indoctrinated mumbo jumbo. If Shepard strained her ears she could hear screaming and yelling and gunfire not far from her. Apparently whatever noise she'd initially encountered when she'd come to the crossroads, had spilled out beyond the hall.

As Shepard and the councilor got to the elevator and Shepard pressed the button to hail the elevator she suddenly became aware of rapidly approaching footsteps behind them. Turning around with the councilor still in tow, Shepard saw Wickers come sprinting down the hall towards them.

"Get out of here Wickers or I'll kill the councilor," Shepard called as Wickers continued racing towards them. Her face was red from the exertion of running and one of her cheeks was bruised as if she'd been hit recently. The cat suit that she wore was stained with a red fluid; Shepard assumed it was blood.

"The Mistress needs you," the councilor whispered in a rush to Shepard, but Shepard paid her little attention. As Wickers continued running down the hall toward them, Shepard pulled the asari out in front of her and raised the gun she'd stolen from Wickers and put it to the asari's head.

"Stop now Wickers or I'll kill her," Shepard threatened. The asari whimpered.

Wickers halted briefly only to reach at the holster on her hip and pull out a knife. With startling speed she tossed the dagger toward Shepard and the councilor. The knife landed right in between the councilors eyes. Shepard felt the councilor jerk backwards and heard her let out a brief cry before she sagged in Shepard's arms. Shepard blinked in alarm at the spray of purplish blood that had spattered onto her cheek and neck.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Shepard cried and let the councilor fall from her arms. Wickers stood a few feet down the hall from her, breathing heavily, her expression strained.

"You would've killed her anyway; I removed the hostage...the Mistress needs you more than we need her alive. Come with me," Wickers held out her hand as if she expected Shepard to willingly take it.

"You're insane," Shepard hissed and hastily grabbed the knife out of the asari councilor's head. She wiped the blade along her black boy shorts, disturbed at the stains of red, black, and purple splattered across her legs.

"I've been given permission to take you by force," Wickers stated and took a step closer to Shepard.

"Use your head Jill! Think! This isn't who you are!" Shepard shouted at Wickers hoping she could shake the indoctrination gripping Wickers mind.

"This _is _who I am!" Jill replied confidently and then charged Shepard. This time Shepard didn't have enough time to react and felt Wickers plow into her like a wrecking ball.

The two women landed on the floor, right in front of the now open elevator. Wickers slid her hands around Shepard's neck hoping to strangle Shepard into unconsciousness. Shepard was able to counteract this however, by shoving both of her hands between Wickers arms and forcing them apart. When Wickers lost her grip on Shepard, Shepard forced the palm of her hand upwards and into Wickers nose. Wickers head snapped backwards and she cupped her nose as bright red blood poured down her chin and dripped onto Shepard's already bloodied chest and face. Shepard shoved Wickers off and rolled away from her. She quickly rose to her full height and got ahold of the gun she'd been carrying.

"I'm sorry Wickers," Shepard whispered and pointed her gun at Wickers. Wickers looked up at her, still cupping her furiously bleeding nose. Shepard hesitated briefly and in that moment of hesitation Wickers lunged forward, forgetting her bleeding nose. Closing her eyes at Wicker's charging figure, Shepard squeezed the gun's trigger.

_Pop_ echoed through the hall and Shepard heard Jill's footsteps come to a halt and then a gurgling sound that was followed by what sounded like someone trying to couch. Shortly later she heard something heavy fall to the ground. She opened her eyes to see Wickers crumpled body lying on the ground in front of her. Wickers pale gray eyes were still open, her blonde hair splattered with blood, a blood spraying bullet wound in her throat. Shepard blinked in horror at the carnage before her; she should've kept her eyes open! A bullet wound or any penetrating injury to the throat was a _very _unpleasant way to go. That gurgling sound Shepard had heard had been Wickers choking on her own blood.

Shepard knelt down in front of Wickers body, getting sprayed with blood as a result, and gently closed Wickers eyes. She hadn't liked Wickers, had even promised to kill her, but the poor woman hadn't deserved to die like this; she hadn't deserved any of this.

Feeling heavily weighted by sorrow, Shepard stepped into the elevator ever aware of the growing sounds of gunfire and shouting. Once inside the elevator Shepard looked at the console before her and pressed the D1 button; she hoped that D1 meant docking bay one. The elevator doors opened several moments later and Shepard carefully stepped out, her gun raised and ready to fire. What she saw shocked her.

She had indeed arrived on the docking bay, but docking bay one had also been where the 'intruders' had arrived and the evidence of their arrival was blatantly obvious. The docking bay was rather large and several ships were already docked there, although most of the docked ships looked ancient; only a few looked like they would actually run. What was most shocking however, were the bodies that littered the floor; the blood that was sprayed across the walls and ground.

Shepard stared in horror at bodies of humans, asari, and even a few salarians. Shepard spied a few dead Marauders and Cannibals as well. They were spread everywhere and for the first time Shepard really became aware of how many people Raidee had indoctrinated. There were at least fifty people spread across the docking bay and ten or so Reaper creatures; all dead. Shepard spotted one or two dead turians near a stairwell that was on the opposite side of the room. When she saw them she felt a brief moment of panic at the thought that either of them might be Garrus. But as she'd walked closer to them she'd realized that they didn't have Garrus's distinct blue colony markings.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Shepard headed away from the dead turians and toward one of the ships docked farther down in the docking bay. As she walked towards the ship she tried her best to avoid stepping in blood or on the bodies of the deceased. She particularly hated stepping in any spilled blood because her feet were bare. However, by this point keeping her feet clean really shouldn't have been a big deal; Shepard was essentially covered from head to toe in the blood of humans and other species. Her own blood from the bullet wound she'd received earlier from Wickers, added to the stains that covered her body.

Shepard stood in front of one of the last ships docked in the docking bay. She stared at it in surprise; it was a turian transport shuttle. It didn't seem to fit in with the older ships that were stationed in the docking bay. Hesitantly Shepard leaned her head to the side to steal a glance at the last ship in the docking bay. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock. The ship at the end of the docking bay was one of the Normandy's transports. The Normandy was here.

With her head spinning from shock, Shepard turned around only to meet the angry flaming eyes of Raidee. Before she could even react, she felt the Mistresses long bony hand slam into the side of her face knocking her to her knees; the gun flew from her hand. She tasted blood in her mouth and for a moment her vision was black. Raidee's angry voice spoke above her.

"You've ruined everything when you could've _had _anything you wanted! Your species is pathetic…you will never grasp the potential you have," Raidee snarled.

Blinking away the black spots that danced in Shepard's vision, she looked up at Raidee and felt her blood begin to boil. This horrible abomination of an asari had kidnapped her, drugged her, poisoned her, and attempted to strip everything that Shepard stood for away from her. She _hated _Raidee and more than ever she wanted to watch the life seep out of Raidee's eyes.

With a blood curdling cry, Shepard rose to her feet and jumped on Raidee. Raidee collapsed to the floor from the shock of Shepard's weight. Shepard snarled angrily, straddled Raidee, and thrust a glowing blue fist into her jaw; she heard a satisfying crack. Raidee reached up one of her long and slender arms and dug her nails into Shepard's shoulder as if her nails were little daggers. Shepard ignored the pain from Raidee's nails and the blood that was spilling out in little blackish red rivers.

"I killed that turian bastard you were pathetically infatuated with," Raidee muttered through gritted teeth. She pressed her nails deeper into Shepard's skin.

"Lies!" Shepard hissed and gave Raidee another biotic punch.

"Search your thoughts my pet…you know it to be true," Raidee said with a wicked smile. She started laughing then, her ugly teeth stained with black blood. "I drank his blood—it tasted of you. How sad that he couldn't save you…or that _you _couldn't save him." The flames in Raidee's eyes seemed to brighten and Shepard felt her stomach flip flop with anxiety.

With a scream that was more like a wild, unhinged battle cry, Shepard violently ripped Raidee's nails and hand out of her shoulder and pinned it to the ground. She rose to her knees and used one knee to pin Raidee's other hand to the ground. Pushing her other knee into Raidee's core to control her, Shepard gripped Raidee's forearm and pulled out the knife she'd taken out of the asari councilors head. Wielding the knife like a blood thirsty butcher, Shepard dug the sharp edge into the flesh of Raidee's elbow and dragged. She felt the blade make contact with bone and she pulled harder, cutting through the bone. Raidee let out a high pitched shriek that would've made anyone with any sanity run for the hills.

Shepard continued to work the blade across Raidee's elbow until she severed it completely. Raidee's bloody stump spurted black blood that splashed onto Shepard's knee, hands, chest, and face. With the severed forearm still in her hands, Shepard took the knife and savagely shoved it into Raidee's chest. Raidee let out another shriek.

"I'm going to rip your head off!" Shepard screamed. Her blue eyes were wild, almost feral. Anyone who had known Shepard and saw her now, blood thirsty and crazy, would hardly recognize her.

Before Shepard could actually make good on her promise however, Raidee knocked Shepard off of her. Shepard was about to rise up in response and strike back when Raidee blasted her with a Shockwave of her own. Shepard felt herself fly backwards a few feet and then land heavily on the floor. She was disoriented as she tried to gain composure and find out which direction Raidee was going to come from next.

Raidee stood a few feet in front of Shepard, her blue flame eyes burning with a savage blood lust. She strode forward, her teeth bared in a snarl. Shepard rose to her feet, her head swimming with dizziness from being hit with a Shockwave. She prepared for what would be her last fight with the abomination that was Raidee.

Glowing a brilliant blue, Shepard prepared to Charge Raidee and end things once and for all. _I'll see you soon Garrus, _Shepard thought sadly and fixed her gaze on Raidee. Raidee continued to close the distance between them and let out a threatening banshee like shriek; Shepard vaguely became aware of some kind of added noise; someone else had entered into the room with them. Raidee's gaze was locked on Shepard, and Shepard's locked on Raidee; she was ready to charge.

With her charge ready, Shepard took a deep breath and set herself in line with Raidee. Just as she was about to let loose with biotic fury however, there was a sound; a loud bang, like gunshot. Raidee's gaze shifted momentarily away from Shepard; much to Shepard's shock, Raidee's head snapped backwards and she stumbled. Shepard stared as black blood oozed our of Raidee's head. Another loud bang and Shepard saw a flash of something slam into Raidee's head for a second time. This time Raidee's head came apart; the blue flame eyes turned black and there was nothing left of what had been Raidee's head. Raidee's headless body took a step forward and then fell to its knees and collapsed. Shepard stared.

Still staring at the body of the Reaper monster that had imprisoned her, Shepard became aware of the sound of footsteps behind her. She thought she heard a few muffled voices in the distance.

Turning slowly, Shepard faced whoever it was that stood behind her. Her eyes landed on the tall frame of a man; a blue glowing visor over the left eye; heavy turian armor adorning the body; Garrus. Shepard stared at Garrus in shock…he was alive! He held his sniper rifle in his hand and realization washed over Shepard. Garrus had been the one to deliver the kill shot to Raidee. Shepard blinked at Garrus, too shocked to make any movement. Garrus stared back at her, taking in her blood splattered form.

"Shepard…?" Garrus's voice was questioning, unsure.

Shepard closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes…it's me; I'm alive."


	26. Chapter 26 I'm here to Save You

**A/N: **So here is 26...I struggled with the first couple of sections, so I hope they flow well. But now it's done; hot off the press and complete. We are coming to the end of this fiction sadly...I think there will be like 4 or 5 more chapters and then an epilogue. I've been entertaining the idea of writing a sequel, but I'm not 100% on that yet. The idea I have requires a few more ideas to make it a do-able story. We'll see; personally I'd like to do it, as I've always wanted to write a story like the one I'm thinking, but like I said we'll see. Anyway enjoy reading. This chapter is a little like going back in time from 25; we get to see what was happening with Garrus before he found Shepard in 25. So read, comment please, and enjoy! Oh, and thank you for all the lovely comments so far! They are wonderful to read.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware.

* * *

Twenty-Six: I'm here to Save You

He could see Shepard; she was in his sights, but so was the Reaper creature she was fighting. Shepard's form was glowing blue from biotic activity and the Reaper creature, a few feet in front of her, looked savage and mocking. He could see she had a bleeding stump for one of her arms; he wondered if Shepard had done that.

Garrus took a breath, preparing to fire at the Reaper creature that opposed Shepard; he would save her. Kaiden, Javik, and the turian soldier had been with him in the hall beyond the docking bay but he had gone ahead, convinced that he had picked up Shepard's scent. He wasn't sure that his shot would have much effect, but he hoped that it would.

The Reaper creature shifted in Garrus's scope; it looked at him; his finger closed around the trigger.

A silent shot rang out.

* * *

One Hour Earlier

Garrus Varkarian stood on the bridge of the Normandy next to Joker, EDI, and Kaiden. He felt great anxiety in the pit of his stomach as the four of them waited for the exploratory teams they'd dispatched a short while ago to report in.

"We're getting a transmission from the turian crews we sent out to the planet and space station," Joker reported and pressed his hand to his ear to better hear the message he was receiving. EDI leaned in a little closer from her seat next to Joker as if she might also hear the transmission. The gesture was probably unnecessary since EDI would be aware of all incoming and outgoing transmissions on the Normandy, since she essentially was the Normandy.

Before Joker could relay the message, EDI leaned back in her chair and spoke. "The turian scout team reports Reaper activity and resistance on the space station. There is no report of activity from the planet's surface. I recommend sending immediate support to the turian team on the station."

"Thanks EDI. _I _had planned on relaying what was going on," Joker griped.

"My apologies, Jeff," EDI replied. Joker looked as if he was about to say something when Garrus chimed in.

"We don't have time to argue over who wanted to tell us what was going on; let's assemble our team and get over to that space station. We don't know how much time Shepard has left," Garrus interrupted and started to head back out in the CIC.

"What if she's not even there…or what if this isn't the right place?" Kaiden mumbled from behind Garrus. No one chose to respond to Kaiden's negative thoughts.

Kaiden and Garrus walked out into the CIC and towards the elevator. Kaiden looked broody and concerned; Garrus looked determined and in control. Vega was standing by the elevator with an inquisitive look on his face.

"So what's the word? Where are we heading?" Vega asked curiously.

Without pause Garrus responded. "We're going to the space station; the turians I sent to scout it out have reported resistance. It's likely that if Shepard's being kept here, that it's there. We're going to form our team and head in."

"We'll have to be careful though; we don't know what we're going to find," Kaiden added his brown eyes filled with anxiety.

"I'm sure whatever is waiting for us won't know what hit 'em when we show up," Vega said with a smile as the three men stepped into the elevator that would take them down to the shuttle bay.

The ride in the elevator was quick and relatively silent. Garrus was lost in his thoughts on how to best approach a rescue; Kaiden was caught up in the right and wrong side of rescuing Shepard without Hackett's assistance or approval; and Vega was eyeing up Kaiden and wondering if he could do as many pull ups as he could; he didn't think so.

Finally the elevator doors opened and all three exited quickly. Cortez and Javik stood near the shuttle that was prepped to take Garrus, Kaiden, and Vega to the station. Along with Cortez and Javik, most of the remaining turians on the accompanying turian vessel would be joining Kaiden, Garrus and Vega.

"What kinda pairings are we lookin' at?" Vega asked as the three men came to a stop next to Javik and Cortez.

Garrus chose to respond first.

"I think we split into two primary groups; me, Kaiden, and Vega and two of my turian comrades from the turian vessel; Cortez and Javik and the remainder of the turians assigned to work with us," Garrus suggested with confidence.

"I do not agree," Javik replied to Garrus's plan.

"What don't you agree with then, Javik?" Garrus asked and crossed his arms. He was sick of sitting around wasting more time.

"I feel that I would be more instrumental if paired with you and the Major Alenko…I request to join you," Javik stated and crossed his arms behind his back as he waited for Garrus to respond.

"I'm okay with whatever as long as we get done what needs to get done," Kaiden remarked.

"I'd prefer to stick with you guys," Vega said and gestured to Kaiden and Garrus. As Garrus was about to respond, Javik interrupted.

"I will not go unless I am paired with the Major Alenko and the turian." The expression on Javik's face was deadly serious.

Garrus gave an irritated sigh. "Fine; you come with us; Vega goes with Cortez and the rest of the turians." With that said, Garrus moved onto the shuttle, annoyed with Javik's insistence on joining his group. They were wasting time that they didn't have.

"Alright everyone, get onboard; we're in for a rough ride," Cortez ordered and gestured to the ship. Javik, Kaiden, and Vega all climbed on the shuttle followed by Cortez; all of them feeling just a little bit of anxiety at the unknown enemies that awaited them on the space station.

* * *

The turian shuttle and the Normandy's shuttle had docked with the space station; the two teams had agreed to separate upon arrival. Upon arrival however, they were met with heavy resistance. The two teams had joined and branched off quickly, trying to draw fire away from weak spots. Garrus had stayed back near the shuttle and from a safe distance had sniped several humans that were apparently in league with whoever had kidnapped Shepard. Along with humans, there were several asari, salarians, and even a few Marauders, and Cannibals.

Garrus's position next to the shuttle was ideal since Garrus could take out several opponents and remain mostly hidden from enemy fire. Kaiden was closer to the front lines firing one of his heavier weapons or blasting foes with biotic energy. Javik was an up close fighter and much to Garrus's irritation, seemed to fixate on the Marauders and Cannibals instead of the other enemies.

When the fire fight had slowed down, Garrus's team fell back to an elevator while Vega's team held the line and would press forward from that point when the area was clear. So when things had calmed a bit, Garrus and company found their way to the elevator that was located several paces away from their docked shuttles and left the docking bay. They chose to begin their extraction attempt with deck 2. When the elevator opened up to deck 2 all of the team spilled out to the hallway, guns raised, ready for attack. The deck was relatively abandoned when they arrived and so the proceeded slowly.

"Where is everybody?" Kaiden asked, his gun raised and his body glowing a subtle blue.

"Probably down in the docking bay," Garrus murmured as he proceeded forward.

The elevator had opened up to a large room, much like a cafeteria. There were chairs that were knocked onto the floor and a few drinks spilled on tables. The lighting was poor making it very difficult to see. A large window that opened up to space was marred with dark lines that were similar to skid marks from heavy shoes.

"This is a bad place to be; too many things to hide behind. We should leave it immediately," Javik whispered from behind Garrus.

"The prothean's right," added one of the turians that was a part of Garrus's team.

"Agreed; let's move out," Kaiden instructed.

The team began to slowly filter through the darkened cafeteria and out a pair of large double doors. Once through the double doors, the team realized that like the cafeteria, the hall seemed empty. The deck was eerily silent.

"I do not like this place," Javik hissed.

"None of us do," Garrus murmured and continued down the hall that the cafeteria doors had led to.

The team continued walking for a while longer down the hall with no sign of life. As the group continued moving deeper through the second deck they passed several closed doors. There were no sounds coming from behind the doors and no unusual scents were detected, so these doors were passed by. It was one of these many doors however, that eventually made Garrus stop in his tracks.

"What is it?" Kaiden asked his face twisted in worry.

Garrus was quiet and didn't answer immediately. Instead he turned and faced the door that had made him stop. He walked up to it and took a deep breath; he smelled something familiar emanating from behind it. The smell was something he was familiar with but there was also something different about it, making it slightly foreign to him.

"The smell behind this door…it's familiar…I think it's hers; I think its Shepard," Garrus explained and began working with the door's console, preparing to hack it.

"We must proceed carefully!" Javik interjected hoping that his alarmed tone would stop Garrus's hacking attempt.

"If Shepard's behind that door, it doesn't matter," Garrus replied. He fooled with the console for a few minutes before the door whooshed open. The smell of sweat and blood seem to roll out in waves now that the door was open. Garrus was the first to venture inside.

The room before him was dark, dank, and foul smelling. There appeared to be come kind of computer console in one of the far corners of the room and a small supply drawer in another corner. In the center of the room was a metal chair that really looked more like some kind of sadistic mad man's torture chair. The chair had shackles on the arm rests, leg rests, and around the head of the chair where the neck would be. There were several drops of black fluid on one of the arms of the chair and a few splatters of what Garrus thought for certain were blood. He moved forward swiftly to examine the chair more thoroughly.

"What…is this place?" Kaiden asked his voice horrified.

"It is a place of Reapers; a place of death," Javik answered, although Kaiden's question was likely rhetorical.

Garrus gently touched one of his gloved fingers to a stain of what was likely blood. The stain crusted under his touch indicating its age. While he was certain that the red stains were blood, he was uncertain as to what the black stains were. They didn't look like any blood he was familiar with; if anything they looked more like Reaper blood or whatever fluid it was that filled a Reaper body.

"This place smells strange," one of the turian soldiers stated and looked around nervously.

"It smells like her; her scent is all over this place…but it's wrong; it's mixed with something else," Garrus remarked, concern carved into his forehead.

Javik seemed to perk up at this. He moved over to Garrus's position and took a deep breath. While Javik lacked a turian's sense of smell, he did have a heightened sense of smell, although he wasn't necessarily attuned to Shepard's scent.

"It is the smell of blood and death; and rebirth of something evil," Javik explained cryptically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaiden asked.

"It means that the Commander is no longer the Commander," Javik stated his voice emotionless.

"Bullshit; it's still her scent and while it smells off, it's _hers_. She doesn't smell like a damn husk or some other Reaper monster," Garrus countered and gave Javik and angry glare.

"It is not the scent of a human," Javik said dryly.

"Every human has a unique scent…have you smelled them _all _Javik? Because I've known a lot more humans than you and I still don't know what every one of them smells like," Garrus growled defensively.

"It's true; humans carry one of the most unique scents I've ever caught whiff of," the turian soldier guarding the hall added, his head poking into the little room.

"We must kill the Commander when we find her, unless she is already dead," Javik said.

Garrus lost his cool at that moment; in a second he'd rammed Javik up against one of the dank walls of the room; his arm pressed against Javik's throat. Garrus glared angrily into Javik's multiple eyes; at that moment more than ever, he wanted to jab out one of those arrogant little eyes.

"If you lay a finger on her or look at her twice with those piss ant eyes of yours, I'll kill you myself," Garrus hissed his blue eyes alight with fiery rage.

Kaiden had walked over and was trying to get Garrus to ease down. "Garrus calm down; we're not going to kill Shepard; we came here to rescue her and that's exactly what we're going to do." Slowly, Kaiden managed to get Garrus to release Javik.

"Stupid ignorant tur—" Javik began but the sound of gunfire interrupted him. All of them looked immediately to the hall.

"Contact! Need help out here!" The turian from the hall shouted. More gunfire followed after he shouted.

Kaiden, Javik, Garrus, and the other turian moved into defensive positions into the hall. There were several humans and asari shooting at them from farther down the hall. One of the asari that was firing at them launched a biotic blast in their direction; it impacted with the turian that had initially been watching the hall.

Garrus moved back into what had been Shepard's cell and used the threshold of the door as cover for him to snipe. Kaiden was returning the favor to the asari who had used biotics, and was now blasting her with his own biotics. Javik was hanging in the background giving cover fire, although cover fire was really unnecessary at the moment since no one was moving to cover.

"Give up! We won't harm you if you come willingly; you can join us in a world of greatness," one of the humans called out between shots.

Kaiden looked back to Garrus and shouted, "Indoctrination! If we thought that this wasn't Reapers before, we know for sure it is now!"

"That was clear when we were in the docking bay and there were bodies of Marauders and Cannibals present," Javik called although no one had really asked his opinion.

As Garrus continued sniping the few remaining enemies present he thought he caught a drift of a familiar scent. Garrus stopped firing and lowered his gun; Kaiden finished off the last enemy and silence returned to the group.

"Vakarian! Lieutenant Genora is dead!" The remaining turian soldier shouted to Garrus, but Garrus didn't hear him; he was caught up in the familiar scent that could swear had drifted down the hall and to him.

"What's the matter Garrus?" Kaiden asked taking note of the distant look in Garrus's eyes.

"I think I smell her again; just a whiff, but I think she's near," Garrus explained and moved forward, past the dead bodies now littering the floor.

"Let's move out people!" Kaiden ordered and started following Garrus. The remaining turian soldier still hovered over the body of his comrade.

"What do we do about Genora?" He asked.

Garrus stopped in his movement forward to briefly address the turian soldier. "We can't take him with us; that'll slow us down…we'll try to come back for him later; for now we have to press on." The turian soldier reluctantly seemed to accept this. The group pressed forward.

Eventually the group came to a crossroads; they could continue going forward or turn right; they chose to continue forward since it looked like the way to the right ended in a door. After heading straight for some time the group came upon an open door and once again Garrus had to stop because he thought he sensed Shepard's scent around the door.

"We're going the right way; she was here…and so was an asari," Garrus remarked and slowly took a few steps into the room. Only Kaiden followed him in as the others didn't seem to trust another empty room.

The inside of this room looked much like a lab; there were glass cabinets covering the walls and large metal tables and gurneys in the center of the room. In between the glass cabinets were a few sinks and what looked like some kind of refrigeration units. Garrus and Kaiden continued into the room.

"Looks like some kind of science lab," Kaiden observed and moved over to one of the glass cabinets to peek inside.

"Find anything interesting?" Garrus asked as he continued to look around the room.

"No…" Kaiden answered softly and bent down to look inside one of the refrigerators.

"We must not linger," Javik called from the hall. Garrus turned to say something in response when Kaiden spoke up.

"Well I think I know where they got the synthetic bug from," he remarked and nodded his head in the direction of the fridge.

"What? What's a synthetic bug?" Garrus asked.

"The quarian leukocyte sickness virus; there are containers that have QLS written on them in here," Kaiden explained. Garrus moved over to Kaiden's position and looked inside the little fridge. Sure enough there were two medium sized metal containers that had 'QLS' and 'BIOHAZARD: HANDLE WITH GREAT CAUTION' written on them.

"Whoever was the mastermind of all of this, certainly went to great pains to get Shepard's attention," Garrus remarked and was about to say more when the sound of a nearby gunshot interrupted him.

"What was that?" Kaiden asked raising his gun, ready for action.

"Farther down the hall; we need to investigate," the turian soldier shouted from the hall.

Garrus and Kaiden quickly left the science room and joined Javik and the turian soldier. The group began down the hall again hoping that the gunshot didn't mean another onslaught of enemies or something worse.

After several twists and turns of the hallway and several minutes of walking, the group arrived at the sight of two bodies crumpled on the floor in front of what appeared to be an elevator. The bodies were that of a human and an asari; specifically that of Jillian Wickers and the asari councilor.

"Jillian…" Kaiden's voice trailed off and he knelt down next to Wickers. He took in her slumped figure, stained cat suit, reddened cheek, and bloodied neck.

"The asari did not die by a gun," Javik observed as he hovered over the asari councilors body. The asari councilor's purplish blood covered the floor and stained her dress; her eyes were still open.

"Who did this?" Kaiden asked and looked up, anxiety and worry clouding his eyes.

Garrus was silent and instead stood in front of the elevator, taking in the scent that lingered on the body of the asari and Wickers and around the elevator. He knew Shepard had been here and recently at that. He wasn't sure if it had been her who had killed Wickers and the asari councilor, but if it had, he wouldn't think less of her for it; they had kidnapped her…she had every right to kill them.

"I don't know…but I think we need to use the elevator and go down…maybe to deck one or to the docking bay," Garrus suggested and moved forward toward the elevator.

"We need to report in to the other team," Kaiden interjected and began fooling around with his comm.

"You do that; I'm going to get down to the docking bay," Garrus stated and walked inside. Javik and the turian soldier watched him enter the elevator and seemed to watch him with growing nervousness as the doors closed.

Inside the elevator Garrus stood and quietly observed the control console; he chose D1. The elevator began to descend and a short time later the door opened up to the docking bay. Garrus stepped out.

Immediately upon exiting the elevator he equipped his rifle, ready to defend himself at a moment's notice. At first he heard and saw nothing that he hadn't expected. The elevator had opened up to a different portion of the docking bay than where he had initially come in at. Garrus looked around but before he could complete his survey he heard a woman's—Shepard's—scream.

"I'm going to rip your head off!"

Garrus's head snapped in that direction instantly. Across the room from him, near the Normandy's shuttle, Shepard had been tossed off some hideous Reaper creature. Shepard rolled off the Reaper creature and then before she could react, the Reaper creature used a biotic Shockwave and knocked Shepard away from her. Shepard flew like a rag doll and landed in a crumpled mess several feet from where she'd originally been.

After watching this Garrus brought his gun up and lowered his eye to the scope. He watched as Shepard gathered herself up and started to glow a heavenly blue. He wondered where she found the strength to dredge up biotics after receiving that kind of blow. Before he lined the Reaper creature up in his sights he briefly took in Shepard's form. He could only see her back but he could clearly see that she was much less clothed then when he'd last seen her. She was clad only in skimpy black underwear and a torn, dirty white undershirt with a black sports bra almost completely visible through the torn state of the undershirt. Shepard was also covered in almost every color blood one could imagine; one of her arms had red rivulets crusted down it; her legs were spattered in red, purple, and black; her whole body was awash in the colors of red, purple, and black. Garrus decided it was time to rescue Shepard; it was time to save her.

He lined the Reaper creature up in his sights; the creature looked at him; Shepard glowed blue. Garrus pulled the trigger and watched as the Reaper creature stumbled back and black blood oozed out of its head; he fired again. This time he was pleased to see that the things head came apart like a melon being split in two. Garrus lowered his gun and looked toward Shepard.

Behind him, Garrus heard the elevator whoosh open again and was certain that Kaiden, Javik, and the turian were about to pop out. Garrus took a few steps forward towards Shepard. Her back was to him and she seemed to be breathing heavily. Garrus felt anxiety hit him; was Shepard still Shepard?

Slowly, Shepard turned around to face him. Garrus stared at her wild blue eyes and was disturbed to see a kind of feral craziness there. Her eyes seemed to drift over his body and then finally she met his anxious stare; he felt himself relax a little when their eyes met. While there was a disturbing edge to her expression, he could still see _his _Shepard in her eyes. She was a bloody mess, though. Her face was spattered with red, blue, and black and looked bruised and battered. One side of her chest looked especially dark and stained as did the upper part of one of her thighs. Her hair, which was normally silky and well kept, looked matted and dirty. She looked like she'd been through hell.

He took another hesitant step forward. "Shepard…?" He needed to know that it was her; that _his _Shepard was somewhere inside her.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and replied, "Yes…it's me; I'm alive."

He knew it then; bloodied and bruised and whatever else, this was _still his _Shepard.


	27. Chapter 27 A Necessary Evil

**A**/**N: **Sorry for the lack in updates...I got busy with stuff for a new job. So here is 27, hope everyone likes it. Don't worry it's not the last one, I'll let you know when we hit that one. Afteralll we still have a few things to clear up. So yes...I apologize for how long it took me to get this up. Anyway, read, comment, and have a fun time with it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Necessary Evil

"What…happened?" Garrus asked his voice breathless at the sight of Shepard. He was still shocked by her ragged, bloody appearance.

Shepard took a weary step forward, her body feeling exhausted from her fight with Raidee. She could still feel the enhanced abilities coursing through her veins, but her body was physically fatigued. At that moment all she wanted was to fall into a week's worth of slumber. Looking at Garrus, the shock combined with relief etched into his face, made Shepard want to close the distance between them and collapse into his arms. At this thought however, Shepard remembered why Raidee had kidnapped her and what exactly had happened in her time away from Garrus.

"She…she, Raidee, that was her name, she was capable of indoctrination—she indoctrinated _everyone _here –and she wanted to do it to me," Shepard murmured and looked down at the bodies around her.

"It's okay Shepard; just tell me what happened," Garrus instructed, his arms raised in a nonthreatening way; he cautiously took a step forward toward Shepard.

Shepard looked up from the array of corpses around her, to Garrus's concerned blue eyes. Gazing into those intimately familiar eyes, Shepard felt her strength and will cave; her knees gave way and she fell forward into Garrus's waiting arms. Her body met with the resounding strength of his arms and armored chest and for a short while she felt secure and safe within his comforting embrace. Garrus in turn was surprised by Shepard's sudden failure in strength when just moments before he'd seen her hold her own against a very threatening Reaper monster.

"It's okay; you're safe now. We're going to take you back to the Normandy; you're safe," Garrus cooed his chin gently resting on Shepard's messy hair. He caressed her hair with one of his gloved hands in a soothing gesture. Despite Garrus's attempts to soothe her however, he clearly felt Shepard stiffen at his words of comfort. She pulled away slightly so that she could look into his eyes.

"I can't go back…there are things, things they did to me that _changed _me," Shepard whispered her eye alight with panic.

Avoiding the twist of alarm in his stomach at the word _change, _Garrus replied, "Just start at the beginning…when Wickers and the asari councilor took you."

Slowly, Shepard began to relay her ordeal to Garrus. She told him of her alarming awakening in a dark and dirty little room and the horrifying discovery that a black fluid was being pumped into her intravenously. Shepard explained what Raidee had been and what she had become when the Reapers had gotten ahold of her. She told him how Wickers and the former Alliance officer had had the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fallen under Raidee's sway. With great hesitation, Shepard then began to explain what Raidee's plans had been for her.

Garrus listened quietly through the length of the story, his face devoid of any response. The others that had been with him—Kaiden, Javik, and the remaining turian soldier—had all managed to make their way from the elevator over to both Shepard and Garrus. When they had first caught sight of Shepard they had gasped in shock at her bloodied state, but had quickly quieted when Garrus had given them a scolding look. All of them now listened to Shepard's story with growing alarm.

"She wanted to merge with me, which didn't make any sense to me at first," Shepard continued barely aware of the others that were now listening to her story. "But after she kept pumping more reaper tech into me I started to really consider the meaning of what she meant by _merging. _A part of me kept holding out hope that she just wanted to do some warped version of Embracing Eternity with me…that didn't seem so threatening; but that wasn't really her intention; her intentions were much worse." Shepard paused for a moment as if considering what she wanted to say next.

"Hawn, go track down the other team and tell them we're ready for extraction," Garrus abruptly commanded the turian soldier during Shepard's pause. Shepard looked confused as did both Javik and Kaiden.

"Sir…are you sure…?" Hawn asked hesitantly he seemed eager to stay behind and hear the rest of Shepard's tale.

"Yes; go find the rest of the team," Garrus repeated and stared at Hawn expectantly. Hawn slowly nodded and left the group. Everyone remained quiet until they saw Hawn enter the elevator and heard the doors close.

"Garrus what was—" Kaiden began.

"Hawn's a good soldier, but I can't trust him and if Shepard is about to tell us something big, I think it's safer if its only us that hear it…although that might mean that Javik has to get lost too," Garrus explained and gave Javik and questioning look, he then gave Shepard a reassuring glance hoping that his interruption wouldn't hinder further explanation.

"I am honorable," Javik said in defense.

"I'd like to believe that…but if you double cross us Javik, I'll kill you," Garrus threatened. Javik was about to say something in response when Kaiden interrupted.

"Knock it off guys, Shepard needs to finish telling us what happened," Kaiden said. Everyone turned their gaze back to Shepard.

Feeling pressured, Shepard looked down. Deep down she didn't want to confess to everyone what Raidee had revealed to her; she was capable of making a new line of Reapers; she was capable of making monsters. Although she would've liked to keep that information secret she knew that the people before her needed to know.

"Raidee had been pouring reaper tech into me because she planned to merge with me; to combine our essences. She thought that the combination of her essence with mine would create a new breed of Reapers. She told me that I was the only one that was powerful enough to merge with her and that our merging would birth a new Creator, like the one I destroyed on the Citadel," Shepard explained in a whisper.

"What…?" Kaiden asked open mouthed.

Shepard looked up her eyes dark and full of hidden emotion. She backed out of Garrus's arms suddenly feeling like a mutant; she wrapped her own arms around her chest in a comforting gesture.

"I…can…create…Reapers," Shepard answered slowly. "That's what she wanted me for and that's why she poured copious amounts of reaper tech into me. I'm different…_changed…_I can do things I couldn't do before…I'm not…not right; not a person. I'm a monster and the only solution I can see is my death…I need to die to ensure that Reapers never live again." Shepard looked down and felt hot tears bloom in her eyes; she didn't want to die, but that was the only way.

For a few moments no one spoke; there was utter silence and Shepard feared looking into the faces of her comrades; afraid of what she would see there. At last, Garrus's voice broke the silence.

"Shepard," he paused and then suddenly took hold of her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "No; _no. _You don't need to die, that's ridiculous! How do you know anything that Reaper bitch told you was true? You destroyed her Creator; of course she's going to tell you things that make you question your existence, but that _doesn't _mean you have to die," Garrus stated firmly.

"I believe what the Commander is saying and agree with her. The Reapers know no honor; if there were a way to create a new line they would find it and use it. The Commander is right; she must die," Javik declared and gave Shepard a pitying look.

Garrus let go of Shepard and whirled around to face Javik. "Are you insane? Reapers lie, that's what they do! Shepard being capable of creating Reapers? I don't believe it, and even if I did I wouldn't say she needs to die. This thing," Garrus gestured to the body of Raidee, "told Shepard that she was unique; that there was no other Reaper like her. Well now she's dead; so even if what she told Shepard was true it's no longer a threat."

"This is not true; there may be others hidden in the galaxy like the one that the Commander calls Raidee. We must do the honorable action; Commander Shepard must die," Javik rebuked.

"You touch her and die," Garrus retorted and took a stance in front of Shepard.

"He's right Garrus…it's the only way to be sure," Shepard murmured from behind Garrus.

"Knock it off Shepard," Garrus scolded and kept his gaze locked on Javik.

"What about the Council or the Alliance? If they find out they might want Shepard dead too," Kaiden mumbled to himself. Both Garrus and Javik quit their stare off and looked in Kaiden's direction. Kaiden didn't look at either Garrus or Javik, but instead seemed to be peeking beyond Garrus's towering figure to Shepard who was obscured by the turian.

Slowly Kaiden took a few steps towards Shepard's position; Garrus moved so that he blocked Kaiden from getting at Shepard.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Kaiden said softly.

Garrus seemed to be internally debating the idea of moving out of the way to let Kaiden get to Shepard, when all of the sudden Shepard stepped out from behind Garrus of her own accord. She stood quietly just to the side of Garrus and looked cautiously at Kaiden. Kaiden took a step closer to her; he was now in touching range.

"What do you want, Shepard?" Kaiden asked his voice no more than a whisper.

"I want what's right," Shepard replied quietly. Garrus moved back into a protective stance in front of her, blocking her from both Javik and Kaiden.

Without another word, Kaiden turned away from Garrus and Shepard and pressed his forefinger to his ear. A moment later his comm buzzed and Joker's voice filled the silence that had settled over the group.

"What's going on? I've heard from Cortez but haven't heard squat from anyone else; did you find her!" Joker asked via the comm.

"Joker, have any of Hackett's forces arrived yet?" Kaiden asked, ignoring Joker's earlier questions.

"Uh…no; thought that would be kinda obvious since you were slow in sending the message," Joker replied.

Kaiden turned back around to look at Garrus; there was a certain glimmer in his eyes. "Okay; if they arrive before we're back on the Normandy, notify me ASAP."

"Okay…weird, but okay…so report in; have you found Shepard?" Joker asked again.

"We found her; she's alive and we're bringing her back," Kaiden stated simply.

"Best news I've heard since the Reapers bit it! How is she—" Joker's voice was cut off when Kaiden suddenly silence his comm.

"What are you planning?" Garrus asked suspicion heavy in his voice.

"We need to get Shepard back to the Normandy and off this space station before Alliance forces arrive. If they get here before we can get her cleaned up then I'm afraid that they'll react the same way Javik's reacting," Kaiden answered and gave a quick look at Javik.

"I can't go back to the Normandy; I'm dangerous," Shepard stated from behind Garrus.

"You need to stop talking like that," Kaiden chastised.

"We can't lie to the Alliance and keep this secret; they have to know what happened here," Shepard insisted.

Garrus turned around then and grabbed Shepard by the shoulders again. He looked at her seriously and said, "Shepard look at what the Alliance has done for you so far! They put you right in the hands of the enemy and did practically nothing to get you back. You deserve to live; you're too valuable to just be thrown away…it _isn't _your time."

Shepard blinked, her lashes shimmering with unshed tears. "But…what they've done to me…what I'm capable of…something like that doesn't deserve to live." Her blue eyes were filled with sorrow and indecision.

"The Commander is—" Javik began.

"Shut up Javik!" Kaiden hissed; Javik seemed to quiet for the moment at Kaiden's chastising remark.

"The Alliance can know _most _of what happened but they can't know the full extent of it; if they do…well we can't trust their reaction," Garrus paused and slowly leaned his head against Shepard's. "For once in your life Shepard be selfish; forget what the Alliance wants from you or what the Council thinks you should do. You've done so much for so many; hell, you saved the damn galaxy and lived to tell about it…so now, _live_ for _yourself_." Shepard blinked at Garrus intense gaze and felt her heart flutter with anxiety. Could she live for herself; could she make this choice and choose to live when she possessed the potential to create great evil? Shepard looked into Garrus's light blue eyes and suddenly felt an answer form in her mind. She could live, not for herself, but for him; for Garrus.

"Okay…I can live as long as you stay by my side," Shepard whispered and watched as Garrus's eyes lit up with joy.

"There was never any question about that," Garrus remarked.

"So what did you have in mind for remedying the situation we're currently in?" Shepard asked keenly aware of all the evidence that no doubt existed on the station.

Garrus pulled away from Shepard and without hesitation replied, "I say we get the hell off this shit hole and nuke it."

"No! I do not agree with any of this! There is great evil on this vessel and within the Commander; justice must be served," Javik argued angrily.

"You'll agree with it or you'll get a bullet in the brain," Garrus growled and glared at Javik.

"Javik just go with it; Shepard brought you back to life and let you help in the destruction of the Reapers; help us save her," Kaiden said in a calming voice.

"I do not like this," Javik murmured but quieted nonetheless.

With Javik appearing to back down Kaiden decided to add input to Garrus's suggestion. "Detonating the station would remove any evidence of what happened here…as long as we can get to a safe distance and get Shepard off of this ship before Hackett gets here, I think everything should work."

"We should get the ship to self-destruct. Derelict or not, this baby obviously still has juice," Garrus stated.

"We'll need a tech expert to hack the system and bypass command codes to get the system to self-destruct," Kaiden observed and rubbed his chin in thought.

"Have EDI do it; she's like a geth and can hack into just about anything," Shepard abruptly added. Both Garrus and Kaiden looked at her in surprise.

"That's actually a really good idea," Kaiden said with a smile.

"EDI can communicate with this station and program it so that it self-destruct," Garrus added thoughtfully.

Kaiden suddenly started shaking his head. "No, no; we can't let EDI hook into the space station. This ship is loaded with Reaper garbage; who knows what'll happen if she does some kind of synchronization with it."

Quickly responding, Shepard replied, "No; if this space station was using reaper tech in its systems it would've emitted a higher energy signature; it would've been detected a long time ago. I think EDI will be safe and even if there is a little bit of Reaper technology in some of the systems it's EDI; she navigated working with a derelict Reaper; I think she'll be fine."

"It's worth a shot," Garrus said quickly and then activated his comm.

"It's about time someone finally talk to me! Tell Kaiden he's an asshole; bozo just cuts me off in the middle of a sentence," Joker said in a very irritable voice.

"Joker tell the rest of the team to report back to the shuttle so we can return to the Normandy," Garrus instructed.

"Alright; are you gonna silence your comm too once I do what you ask?" Joker asked a sneer in his voice.

"No, I'm not Kaiden; I'm not rude," Garrus teased. Kaiden snorted in mild irritation at Garrus's teasing.

"Whatever…anything else I can do for you?" Joker asked.

"Yeah; tell EDI to try to link with the space station and get it to self-destruct," Garrus replied.

"Are you serious? Hackett's gonna want to get down there and do a little recon for himself," Joker exclaimed.

"He's serious Joker. Tell EDI to be careful and not to initiate the self-destruct command until we're off the ship. We'll explain when we get back to the Normandy," Kaiden answered for Garrus. While Joker had been talking to Garrus, Kaiden had reactivated his comm.

"Fine," Joker replied and his transmission ended.

"Okay…I guess that's our cue to leave," Garrus stated and looked pointedly at Shepard. Shepard silently nodded.

Kaiden began heading toward the shuttle with Javik following him, muttering about how terrible things were likely to happen as a result of Shepard living. Shepard watched both Kaiden and Javik walk away and then looked back to Garrus. She still felt like her living was dangerous and a potential future problem, but she wanted to live; she wanted to have a chance at being happy.

Garrus held out his hand to her; Shepard slowly took it and the two began walking in the direction of the Normandy's shuttle.

**F/N: **Next chapter we'll finally get to see how Garrus reacts to the fact that Liara is pregnant with Shepard's child! Won't that be fun!


	28. Chapter 28 Truth Be Told

**A/N: **Hello everyone! I am very sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up, but I got quite busy with my new job. I have no intention of abandoning this story and am going to finish it, it just may take a little while, hopefully not that long though. So here is 28, the confession of what Liara's dirty little secret is to Garrus! How will he react! Read on to find out! Hope everyone likes it and I will try to get 29 up sooner than later but if it takes a little while please forgive me since my orientation period requires I put in LOTS of hours and I'm pooped after my day is done. Anyway, please read and enjoy! Thank you so much for the reviews thus far, they are much appreciated! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing; all characters belong to Bioware.

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Twenty-Eight: Truth Be Told

Shepard sat on the firm surface of one of the beds in the medbay of the Normandy; Dr. Chakwas stood across from her with a vile of dark red blood in her hand. Garrus was standing at the side of the medical bed Shepard sat on; he looked relaxed, but Shepard was thinking that inwardly he probably felt as nervous as she did.

For the last two hours, Shepard had undergone a medical exam from Chakwas. She had been immediately rushed off of the space station she'd been held captive on and onto the Normandy. Once the extraction team was safely away from the space station, she had watched from the bridge as the space station blew up. EDI had linked to the space station and triggered a self-destruction sequence resulting in the explosion. After the station had exploded Shepard had been escorted to the medbay for Chakwas to examine. As Shepard had made her way through the Normandy she had caught the eyes of many of the crew; they stared at her wide eyed as they took in her bloody, wild appearance.

Liara had been outside the medbay and had initially been smiling but that smile had dropped from her face the instant she saw Shepard. She had attempted to approach Shepard and the entourage of people escorting her, but Garrus had stepped in her way and blocked the path. Shepard had heard Liara make a biting remark to Garrus, but she hadn't proceeded further and had let Shepard continue to the medical bay.

Once Shepard had been escorted inside, most of her entourage (Kaide, Vega, one of the turian soldiers, and even EDI's physical form)had scattered and left her alone; only Garrus remained with her. Chakwas was alarmed to see Shepard in such a disheveled state and immediately proceeded in cleaning her up. She had stripped Shepard out of what little clothing she had on and had essentially hosed her down until her skin was clean of lingering dried blood. Chakwas had cleaned and dressed the wound on Shepard's shoulder, although the wound appeared mostly healed, and she had put Shepard in the typical white paper gown that all medical facilities seemed to carry.

After Shepard had been cleaned from head to toe, Chakwas had proceeded in drawing several vials of Shepard's blood and had begun a complete medical exam on her. She looked in Shepard's eyes for pupillary responses, performed several xrays, asked her questions involving her personal history, done deep tissue scans, had her lift a few things with her biotics under different circumstances, etc. The exam had been long and thorough but critical in providing answers as to what had happened to Shepard.

About half way through the exam Joker had come over the comm and announced that Hackett had arrived and wanted a briefing on what happened; specifically he wanted to see Shepard ASAP. Chakwas had told Joker that her medical exam overruled any orders by Hackett and to inform Hackett that he could wait to speak to Shepard. As a result, Kaiden was used in Shepard's stead to discuss things with Hackett.

"Well I've finished the workup," Chakwas announced and gazed at the vile of blood in her hand.

Shepard shifted awkwardly on the bed, hoping that whatever results Chakwas had gotten from her exam, they were good. "What's the story then…am I still me?" Shepard asked nervously.

Chakwas finally looked up from the vile of blood, her eyes focusing on the obviously pensive Shepard. After gazing at Shepard for a moment, she turned away to put the vile of blood in a little tray on the table behind her. Slowly she turned back to Shepard and pursed her lips as if her mouth had decided to speak but her brain hadn't gotten the message to form words.

"For all intents and purposes you are still you, Shepard. I can't exactly tell you what it was that they did to you…I don't really understand what I'm seeing in your blood work so I can't really begin piece together what exactly your captors did and didn't put in your body. What I _can _tell you, is that you have an excess of Reaper tech coursing through your system; whatever they did, it involved pumping _lots _of Reaper tech into you. From what I can tell however, is that this Reaper tech is specialized; unique in origin…which is the only explanation I can form as to why you didn't succumb to Reaper will while captured," Chakwas explained carefully.

"Okay…so what does that mean for me; does it change me?" Shepard asked looking down at her folded hands in her lap.

"As far as I can tell you aren't really _changed_, more so…enhanced. It appears that with this influx of Reaper tech your biotic abilities, strength, and senses have increased to an impressive level. Your biotic implant appears to be doing little work now suggesting that you now have biotic capabilities similar to asari skill. In general you are stronger and more powerful than you have ever been before," Chakwas replied.

Shepard was silent; she didn't know what to think of that. A part of her had already known that the Reaper tech Raidee had poured into her system had enhanced her natural abilities; made her stronger. However, another part of her had rejected this idea; disgusted at the thought of Reaper tech flowing through her veins. She knew she was stronger, but she wasn't sure she liked that. There had been times when she had been joined with Raidee and then when she'd been fighting Raidee, that she had felt crazy and unhinged. She didn't like feeling that way; it made her feel less than human.

"I guess being stronger isn't so bad," Shepard mumbled and looked hesitantly to Garrus. Garrus looked back at her, weariness heavy in his eyes.

"Dr. Chakwas would you mind if Shepard and I talked for a few minutes…alone?" Garrus abruptly asked, his eyes moving from Shepard to Chakwas.

Chakwas blinked in surprise and replied, "I suppose that would be alright…just try not to excite her. I'll be outside." With that said Chakwas nodded in Shepard's direction and left both Garrus and Shepard alone in the medbay.

"Garrus…what's—" Shepard was interrupted by weary sigh coming from Garrus.

"I know everything that's going on is serious and that whatever those bastards did to you on that space station is important…but there's something I need to know; something I've wanted to know ever since you were abducted," Garrus stated and walked around to face Shepard. He took her pale hands in his own and looked at her. "What is it that you wanted to tell me before you were taken?"

Shepard blinked and stared in surprise at Garrus. She had forgotten about that; with all the chaos of being abducted and trying to survive, she had completely forgotten about Liara's little confession of being pregnant with her child. Garrus still needed to know, which apparently meant that Liara had refused to let him in on what was going on.

"I had forgotten about that…and I guess I thought that she would just tell you because I was gone," Shepard whispered looking down, dreading the thought of revealing Liara's dirty little secret to Garrus.

"I know, and I know that this isn't really the time that I should be harassing you for details…but I need to know. I tried to get Liara to talk to me but she wouldn't…so please, what is it that you needed to tell me?" Garrus asked softly. Sighing, Shepard gathered her thoughts and opened her mouth to speak.

"Liara did something that I don't agree with; I had no knowledge that she wanted to do such a thing. Liara…she…Liara," Shepard paused and closed her eyes trying to put together the right words. "Liara is pregnant."

Garrus was silent; he seemed to be processing the information. "Okay…so Liara is pregnant. That's what she didn't want to tell me?" Garrus paused and then added slyly, "What, is Javik secretly the father and she's embarrassed about it? Ashamed because protheans are really assholes?"

Shepard pressed her lips together in hesitation and let out another sigh. "No…Javik is not the father, although believe me that would be preferable." There was an edge to her voice one that she felt certain Garrus would catch onto.

"So who is and why is she so keen on keeping it quiet?" Garrus asked cautiously. There was worry in his eyes as if he was now considering something deadly serious.

"On the night of the final push to the Citadel when I said goodbye to Liara she told me she wanted to give me a gift; I accepted and she did some kind of asari mind thing and showed me something like stars. She told me that it was done between friends and so I didn't think twice about it…but it was in that linking of our minds that she did something without my knowledge or consent; Liara used my DNA and got herself pregnant; Liara is pregnant with _my _child," Shepard slowly explained hating the words as they rolled out of her mouth.

Garrus stared at Shepard his face blank of emotion and his eyes clouded with confusion. He didn't really understand or comprehend what Shepard had just said to him; he couldn't wrap his head around the idea just yet. Garrus continued staring at Shepard for several minutes and the silence between the two seemed to move by at a sloths pace.

"Garrus…?" Shepard ventured nervously. She moved one of her hands out to touch him, he didn't move as her hand settled on his shoulder; he seemed temporarily frozen in time. Shepard felt her stomach tighten up at Garrus's lack of response; she needed to know what he was thinking!

"Garr—" Shepard began only to be cut off.

"Liara is pregnant…with _your _baby? _YOUR BABY?_!" Garrus clarified his voice rising at the end. His eyes seemed to come alive and he stared at Shepard with shock and outrage. "Did you know she was doing this when she gave you this supposed 'gift'?"

Shepard blinked at Garrus's surprising outburst. She quickly tried to form a response to calm him. "No! I had no idea what she was doing…if I did I would have _never _agreed to it. I don't care about Liara like that and I thought I had made that clear to her; I never would have imagined she would be capable of this kind of deceit but I was wrong. I was on my way to tell you when I was kidnapped by Wickers; I wouldn't have kept something like this from you."

Garrus backed away from Shepard then, causing the hand she had on his shoulder to fall away. Shepard cradled her fallen hand to her chest as if it had been hurt; she looked imploringly at Garrus.

"Please Garrus, you have to believe me; I had no idea what Liara was doing and I was not happy to hear that she was pregnant with my baby. I don't think it's right and it will almost certainly permanently change the dynamic of our relationship. It makes me angry because she shouldn't be the one to have a child with me; it should be you and I." Shepard lowered her eyes and head and felt her spirit sag; she didn't know what she would do if Garrus wouldn't believe her.

After a few moments of strained silence a sigh rose from Garrus and Shepard lifted her head to look hopefully toward him. His arms were crossed and his eyes were muddy with emotion but he was looking at Shepard without anger or betrayal; he simply looked sad.

"I believe you and I'm sorry about my reaction. I know that you wouldn't have consented to something like that…it's just that it took me by surprise—it definitely wasn't something I expected. I'm not angry at you; you didn't have any idea what she was doing or planning…I'm angry at Liara, in fact I've been angry with Liara for some time now. While you were gone she wouldn't tell me anything, and while that makes sense now, it doesn't redeem her in my eyes. What she did was low and sneaky…this confession just makes me distrust her further," Garrus responded and took a step closer to Shepard. He gently took the hand she cradled to her chest and intertwined his fingers with hers. "I just wish it was you and I having a baby…not you and her."

Shepard felt tears spring to her eyes at Garrus's words. His face was the picture of disappointment; his usual bright eyes were murky with sadness and his typical playful disposition was visibly sullen. Shepard gave a little squeeze to Garrus's hand.

"I'm so sorry," Shepard whispered as a lone tear found its way out of one of her eyes. Before she could wipe it away she felt a gloved finger brush against her cheekbone and brush the tear away. Shepard looked up to see Garrus withdrawing his hand to examine the tear on his finger.

"I'm not sure if I've ever seen you cry before," he mused quietly.

With a little smile in the corner of her mouth, Shepard replied, "It's a rare sight."

"Well then I'm glad I'm one of the few who's been able to see it," Garrus replied softly and lowered his hand. "What are you planning to do…do you want to be like, the, uh, father then?"

Shepard started shaking her head at his question. "No, I don't want to be the father…she told me that she was going to have Feron act as the father figure, which is fine with me. I guess I'd like to be there in some capacity, like an aunt or something, but I don't feel comfortable being its parental figure While some might think that's the wrong decision I don't really think that; I wasn't involved in the decision to create the child…and it was done without my consent, a rape if you will; so I don't feel comfortable acting in that role," Shepard explained.

"I'm certainly not going to think less of you for making that choice…if it'd been me I would have thrown her off the ship and insisted she stay the hell away from me for the rest of my days," Garrus replied caustically.

"I don't agree with what she did; I don't like it—it makes me furious to think about it—but she's still my friend, and while a part of me would like to do just what you said, another part knows that that's not the right thing to do. I'm not going to force her out of my life, but I'm not necessarily going to invite her into the inner depths of it anymore. My relationship with her will never be the same," Shepard stated calmly.

"I sure as hell don't agree with what she did. I was mad at her before but now I'm furious. You may find it in your heart to forgive her one day…I don't know if I can. I definitely won't be in the mood for a heart to heart with her anytime soon," Garrus remarked, anger just touching the edge of his voice.

Shepard watched Garrus as he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. She was delighted that he wasn't angry with her but was concerned about the inevitable tension that would form between he and Liara. Shepard wasn't sure how she would work around that, but then again she knew that there would be tension between she and Liara as well. It was likely that the relationship both she and Garrus had had with Liara in the past would never fully recover…or at least it would never be the same.

"We'll just have to keep some distance from her…I think more space would be better for you," Shepard suggested with a small, teasing smile.

"Try opposite ends of the ship," Garrus murmured.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Garrus," Shepard admitted and took her free hand and gently stroked Garrrus's scarred cheek.

"You might cry more often," Garrus teased and Shepard was pleased to see some of his old playfulness return to his eyes. The two leaned into one another and touched foreheads. Shepard felt her body relax at the feel of his rough skin against her soft flesh. She had missed his touch, presence, his entire being.

Garrus pulled away and gave Shepard a reassuring look. "We've been through hell and back…I guess an unexpected and definitely unplanned pregnancy won't kill us…it's just too bad that it isn't yours and mine."

Shepard opened her mouth to speak but then hesitated as a thought struck her. She remembered Chakwas talking about all the Reaper tech in her body and how she had explained that she wasn't exactly sure as to how it would affect Shepard. Shepard's physical strength and biotics had been enhanced and who was to say that other parts weren't enhanced as well? Wasn't it the Reaper tech that existed in her body that allowed her to heal at an exceptional rate? Who was to say that that Reaper tech wasn't also capable of doing other miraculous things?

"Well I do have a lot of added Reaper tech in my body now…who knows what that will do to me physiologically. Maybe all the added cellular activity will give you and I an opportunity," Shepard paused briefly as she recalled the exact words he had once said to her, "_to see what a turian human baby looks like_."

Garrus looked at Shepard cautiously and replied, "While that's a nice thought Shepard, if it was a baby engineered by Reaper tech I'd rather not find out."

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Shepard remarked.

A small twitch of his mandibles and a brief look of playfulness in his eyes, Garrus replied, "I guess we will."

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**F/N: **Foreshadowing anyone? :)


	29. Chapter 29 The Way Things Were

**A/N: **So sorry it has taken me FOREVER to get this next chapter up...but here it is hot off the press! So, I should be able to finish this baby up by tomorrow or the next day. There will be one more chapter and then an epilogue and then we'll be done. There might be a sequel in the works sometime, but if there is I need to work out some plot details and get off of orientation, which THANK GOD is almost done. And if these are up late I'm sorry again...I work nights now so I literally work all night and sleep all day. Anyway...enjoy this chapter I quite enjoyed writing it. It's got lots of fluff in it so hopefully that'll be good. Thank you for all the lovely reviews so far, they are always a joy to read. Anyway, enjoy, review, and have a great time reading it!

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Twenty-Nine: The Way Things Were

The soft hum of the Normandy's machinery filled Shepard's ears as she sat in the briefing room. The room was cold, something she never failed to take note of, although the chill of the briefing room was not at the forefront of her mind today.

Before Shepard stood Admiral Hackett, endlessly drilling her on her abduction, captivity, rescue, and the destruction of the space station. Kaiden had given Hackett a run through of Shepard's rescue, but was vague in describing the fine details of her imprisonment. Because of Kaiden's vagueness in detailing Shepard's captivity, Hackett seemed to have a limitless number of questions for Shepard; much to Shepard's chagrin.

Shepard was hesitant to be completely forthcoming with information; she had agreed to conceal the true reason behind her abduction; that she was in fact capable of creating a new species of Reapers. She knew Hackett sensed her hesitation and that that was why he continued probing her for more details.

"Alright, let me see if I have all the details in order; you were abducted by Lieutenant Wickers and the asari councilor—who were indoctrinated and are both dead now—to be experimented on by this Reaper creation…called, Raidee?" Hackett paused to raise an eyebrow at Shepard. "This Raidee creature held you captive for almost a week and filled you full of reaper tech that enhanced your natural abilities…which led to your escape and the subsequent rescue." Hackett finished and looked at Shepard expectantly.

Shepard shifted awkwardly in her chair and felt as if the chill of the room was seeping into her bones. She lowered her eyes to her hands that were folded in her lap only to be met with the eerie sheen of newly silvered nails. It seemed that the reaper tech that had been inserted into her body had had more side effects in addition to her enhanced physical and mental abilities. Shepard's finger nails and toe nails now sported an iridescent silver sheen, as if she had painted them with nail polish. The elbow she'd had reaper tubing connected to had a subtle gray hue to it as did a part of her chest and groin. All were side effects and evidence of the large quantity of reaper tech coursing through her veins; side effects that were difficult to hide.

"Yes, everything you've said is correct. If you have doubts about me I understand; I would to if I were in your shoes. However, I am still _me_; Chakwas ran thorough tests on me and with the exception of enhanced biotic power and strength, I am still the same Shepard you've always known," Shepard stated confidently although deep down she was anything but confident.

Hackett sighed and rubbed his eyes at Shepard's response. He seemed torn in what he was supposed to do with her. Part of him felt compelled to accept her story, despite the fact that he was _certain _that she was hiding something from him. Another part of him felt like he should court martial her and bring her into the Alliance or Council to deal with. He was undecided…but didn't feel like he could act until he had more evidence. Hackett decided then that he would accept her story for now, but would continue to do his own investigation on the side to find out what really happened to Shepard. There had to be someone who knew more details and if that someone confirmed Shepard's story then he would accept it and move on, but if that someone confirmed Hackett's suspicions then he'd be forced to take action.

"I believe you Shepard," Hackett lied and attempted a reassuring smile. "I've seen Dr. Chakwas medical reports and with the exception of the reaper tech, you appear to still be you. You will be required to submit to monthly medical exams though for the time being…just as a safety precaution," Hackett explained and gave Shepard a knowing look. In truth if Hackett gave the OK that Shepard was indeed fine and intact there would be no further proceedings; however, because he was untrusting of Shepard, he liked the idea of keeping tabs on her via medical appointments with doctors _he _would choose.

Shepard nodded at his words. "I have no problem with that Sir."

"Good…then for now we are done. Check in once a week and don't be surprised if you see a few extra Alliance soldiers floating around the Normandy—it's just a safety measure. Also, for now you and the Normandy are confined to the Sol system," Hackett explained, carefully watching for Shepard's response.

Without skipping a beat Shepard replied, "Not a problem…there should be plenty of things to do in the Sol system. Besides I and probably the rest of Earth born people on board would like to return to Earth." Shepard's face showed no guile or secrecy making Hackett briefly question his suspicion in her.

"Alright then…I'm glad we have you back and remember to check in with me in a week," Hackett stated. Shepard rose from her chair and gave Hackett a salute; Hackett returned the gesture and then left the briefing room, leaving Shepard alone with her thoughts.

Shepard watched as Hackett left the briefing room and vanished down the hallway and undoubtedly headed in the direction of the shuttle bay so he could return to his own ship. Sighing quietly, Shepard also left the briefing room and proceeded down the hallway that would connect her to the CIC. She was supposed to meet Garrus after her meeting with Hackett which she was greatly looking forward to.

It had been three days since Shepard had been liberated from Raidee's captivity. In that time she had undergone the rigorous medical exam by Dr. Chakwas and then had spent the majority of the time resting and recovering. Admiral Hackett had expressed his desire to speak with Shepard as soon as possible, but Chakwas had insisted that Shepard needed to recover and regain her faculties. So Shepard had rested in her quarters for three days.

Kaiden had visited her while she been recovering, and had given her the rundown on what he'd told Hackett in his discussion with him. Garrus had spent a good chunk of his time with Shepard but occasionally would vanish to take care of some kind of business. While Shepard had been confined to her quarters recovering, Liara had attempted to visit her but Shepard had refused the visit. She wasn't ready to deal with that issue just yet. It was something that she wasn't quite sure how to take on or respond to.

Shepard stepped into the CIC and quickly made her way over to the elevator. A few eyes glanced in her direction but Shepard paid them no heed and proceeded to the elevator. She called the elevator and waited for a few moments before the doors whooshed opened. When the doors opened Shepard was surprised to see Liara standing inside looking just as surprised to see Shepard.

"Shepard," Liara said in a breathy voice.

Before Shepard could stop herself from saying it she replied, "I'll catch the next one." Shepard automatically took a few steps back.

Liara blinked in surprise and took a step forward, her hand outstretched. "Shepard please; we need to talk." Shepard felt her stomach flip flop in anxiety; she didn't want to have this conversation.

"I'm supposed to meet Garrus, Liara."

Liara moved closer to the edge of the elevator. People scattered around the CIC had begun to take notice of the interaction between both Shepard and Liara. Shepard felt her skin prickle with tension. She knew Hackett didn't trust her and was certain that he had little spies planted on her own ship that would report everything back to him. While this interaction with Liara shouldn't raise alarm it would raise questions; questions Shepard didn't want publicized.

"Please Shepard…as my friend, please talk to me," Liara implored her dark blue eyes pleading.

Shepard sighed in irritation and stormed into the elevator and quickly pressed the button that would shut the doors and cut them off from public view. Liara took a step backwards and looked down, embarrassed or startled by Shepard's abruptness. Shepard rolled her eyes suddenly irritated by Liara's extreme sensitivity.

EDI's voice suddenly came from overhead. "Commander Shepard you have not chosen a destination."

Shepard rubbed her temples and replied, "Take us up to my quarters but halt the lift half way up," Shepard paused and turned her head in Liara's direction. "I do _not _want to discuss things with you in my cabin. Garrus is there and believe me; he _doesn't _want to see you, especially with me."

Liara opened her mouth to speak but EDI's voice interrupted her. "I will pause the elevator before reaching your cabin, Commander."

"Good," Shepard murmured; silence broke out between the two then.

"Shepard," Liara whispered.

Feeling frustration weigh into her body Shepard snapped her head back in Liara's direction and said, "Say what you have to say."

Liara hesitated at Shepard's sharp words but finally found her voice. "First of all, I wanted to say that I am glad you are alright. I was very concerned about your wellbeing…I feared the worst," Liara paused and looked down soft tears pooling in her large blue eyes. "Secondly I wanted to discuss my confession to you…I know that you aren't exactly pleased with the choice I made but you know why I did it and while you don't accept it now I know you will later. I'm sorry if it has created a rift between you and Garrus…and I'm very sorry that I have created a gap between Garrus and myself."

Shepard was silent unsure of what she should say. She knew why Liara had made the choice she did but she still wasn't comfortable with it. Liara had essentially used Shepard like a sperm bank to make a child. What irritated her most was that Liara had said nothing to Shepard; she had gone behind Shepard's back and in essence stolen a chunk of Shepard's DNA to play with like a mad scientist. Shepard felt betrayed and wasn't sure when or if she would be able to return to their old relationship. When Liara had first confessed Shepard had been shocked and had initially grasped the idea but now as more time had gone by and she'd had more time to think about it the more she was angered by it.

"I don't know what to say Liara…you deceived me; lied to me; kept a _huge _secret from me for months. I know you don't expect anything of me but still…there will be a child out there, a child that is _mine _and _yours _and despite that I had no choice in the decision. You betrayed me—you essentially raped my genetic code to make a child that would what? Carry on my legacy? How is that supposed to happen when I'm not even involved in the decision to create it?" Shepard asked bitterly.

Liara continued to look down her arms cupping her slightly rounded belly. Shepard felt disturbed by that image knowing that the child she carried was her own.

"I know it is difficult, I do and the decision was very difficult for me to make…but I _had _to. I wanted you to live on," Liara's voice trailed off and Shepard was certain that her tears were free flowing now.

"What do you expect from me?" Shepard asked her voice soft but exasperated.

Slowly Liara raised her head, her face heavily streaked with tears. "I want us to be how we were before…I want to be your friend."

Before Shepard could stop herself, she blurted out, "I'm not ready for that."

Surprise briefly swept across Liara's face and she replied, "I understand…" Liara lowered her head again.

Realizing that she had just blurted out the dominant thought in her mind Shepard quickly tried to back pedal. In truth she did want to return to the friendship she and Liara had shared but she wasn't ready for that now. It would take time for her to regain trust in Liara.

"Liara what I mean is that I want to get back to where we were—to be friends again—but right now I'm not ready. I'm still dealing with the shock and the hurt of you essentially stealing a part of me," Shepard explained.

Nodding, Liara replied, "Thank you Shepard." Before Shepard could say anything in response Liara spoke up again and said, "EDI resume the elevator; Shepard has to get to her quarters."

After a few moments of silence on the elevator the doors whooshed open to Shepard's cabin and Shepard stepped out. Liara still stood in the elevator looking downtrodden. Shepard hesitated at the threshold of her cabin and looked at Liara who still stood in the elevator.

"Will you be okay?" She asked.

With a small smile Liara replied, "Yes; have a good evening." With that said the elevator doors slid shut cutting Liara off from Shepard's view. Shepard sighed and walked toward her cabin.

Shepard's cabin doors opened up and Shepard eagerly stepped inside, excited to see Garrus and tell him about the days happenings. As she walked in she became aware of multiple voices inside her cabin. With her newly enhanced hearing, Shepard could make out three distinct voices that were chatting amongst themselves. One she knew for certain was Garrus's voice but the other two were foreign, although she was certain the two other voices belonged to turians due to the flanging quality in each voice. One of the two voices sounded higher, perhaps female, but Shepard wasn't sure since she'd never actually met a female turian.

"She collects model ships?" Asked the deeper voice that was vaguely reminiscent to Garrus's voice.

"It adds flare to the cabin," Garrus's voice replied.

"The beds nice," remarked the higher pitched voice.

Shepard continued standing at the very entrance to her cabin and wondered who Garrus's guests were. She wasn't aware of any new turians on board the Normandy, but then again she had been quite busy with Hackett for the last several hours.

"Something smells different," the deeper voice suddenly said.

The room was quiet and Shepard wondered if the voice that had just spoken was speaking of her. Garrus's voice abruptly cut through the silence then.

"That would be Commander Shepard." Shepard snapped her head in the direction of Garrus's voice and heard the springs in her couch squeak with the shift of someone's weight. A moment later Garrus came into Shepard's view. He was dressed in his turian casual attire and looked unusually giddy.

"Garrus…?" Shepard questioned raising her eyebrow in confusion.

"Shepard! I was wondering when you'd get here…I was hoping it'd be a little earlier but I guess this way it makes it a surprise," Garrus responded and walked up to Shepard and took her arm in his. He led the very confused Shepard past her desk and down the two little steps that led to her bed and sitting area.

Feeling confused Shepard looked to Garrus's bright face and felt even more perplexed at his cheery disposition. When she'd left him earlier that day he'd been as wary as she was about talking to Hackett. Now he was cheerful…and had a surprise for her?

When the sitting area came into view Shepard was shocked to see two turians casually sitting on her sofa like ordinary people. It wasn't seeing the two turians that was shocking however; it was that the colony markings on their faces that were identical to Garrus's and while many turians looked similar there was some uncanny resemblance between the two turians on the couch and Garrus. The turians sitting in her cabin could only be Garrus's father and sister.

"Y-y-your family?" Shepard said breathlessly surprised and unsure how to proceed.

Before Garrus could make any response the older turian, who apparently was Garrus's father, stood up and held out his hand to Shepard.

"Commander Shepard; I am Curren Vakarian and it's an honor to meet you." Shepard took Curren's hand feeling surreal the entire time.

While shaking Mr. Vakarian's hand Shepard took in his appearance. He looked largely like Garrus with the same colony markings tattooed across his face only the color looked slightly faded. The tip of one of his mandibles was chipped, as if just the end had been snapped off like an icicle. His eyes unlike Garrus's soft blue-gray, were a deeper shade of blue and made Shepard think of the ocean.

Shepard shifted her gaze to Garrus's sister who had yet to introduce herself. She was leaner than the male turians Shepard had seen and the carapace was subtler and softer in a feminine way. Her face was largely similar to Garrus's, with the same colony markings in the same blue color but unlike Garrus and most other turians Shepard had seen, her fringe was much shorter and refined. There were no breasts or distinct outline of womanly hips making Shepard wonder if she had actually run into female turians and had just been unaware of it.

Curren Vakarian pulled his hand out of Shepards and gestured to his daughter who now stood and approached Shepard. "This is my daughter and Garrus's sister, Solana." Solana also held her hand out to Shepard; Shepard took it.

"Good to finally meet you, Shepard. Garrus talks about you a lot so it's nice to finally be able to meet the woman who seems to have put a stop to his philandering ways," Solana said with a wicked glimmer in her eyes.

Garrus gave a cough and said, "She's kidding."

"Not really," Solana rebutted with a naughty expression. Shepard couldn't help but smile as well.

"Solana that's enough," Curren scolded and gave Solana a chastising glare.

Smiling Shepard replied, "It's lovely to meet you…Garrus has spoken of you two often and I have wanted to meet you for some time." Shepard briefly recalled how Garrus had informed her of his father's hesitation about him dating a human. She hoped that his family meeting her in person made them more open to the idea of her being a permanent fixture in Garrus's life.

"I had hoped to have you here before they arrived so I could explain it to you, but it didn't really work out that way…at least this way it's a surprise. Palavan isn't in the greatest shape and dad wanted to come by the Citadel to check out the new C-Sec headquarters so I thought that it would be a good time to have them officially meet you," Garrus explained.

"Well I'm honored to have them here," Shepard said sincerely.

"That's an interesting color for your nails…almost like it glows. Where'd you get it?" Solana asked and pointed to Shepard's slivery nails.

Shepard felt a nervous blush form on her cheeks. She curled her free hand into a fist and attempted to withdraw her hand from Garrus only to have him take her hand in his obscuring the shiny nails for her.

"It was a gift from an asari friend," Garrus lied for Shepard.

"Yes…my friend…Liara…had a unique color of nail polish that she gave to me for…my…birthday," Shepard said agreeing with Garrus. She smiled and hoped that Solana and Curren believed her. Luckily she was wearing long sleeves today so the silver sheen in her elbow was not visible.

"If she has anymore send one my way," Solana replied playfully. Shepard momentarily wondered if turians actually painted their talons.

The expression on Curren's face made Shepard's stomach churn with nausea; he did not look like he believed any of what she or Garrus said.

"Well we are going to have dinner in the mess…so if you would like to get ready and meet us down there in a few minutes that would be great," Garrus suggested eagerly trying to change the subject.

"Alright…I'll see you in a few minutes then," Shepard replied and smiled at the Vakarian family. She watched as Garrus ushered them out of Shepard's sitting area and toward the door. Once Solana and Curren were through Garrus turned around and gave Shepard a quick wink.

As the doors to her cabin closed Shepard smiled happily, momentarily forgetting her conversation with Hackett and her awkward encounter with Liara. She wasn't sure how Curren would take to her…the question about her nails and her explanation didn't really seem to sit well with him, but hopefully he would come around.

Shepard slowly walked over to her bathroom and stripped off the long sleeved jacket she'd been wearing. Once it was off she gazed at the slivery sheen in the crook of her elbow. Dark slivery lines traced subtle lines up her arm; following the pattern of the veins. Solana was right about her nails; they did seem to have some kind of illuminating effect…she just wished that it was actually nail polish and not the result of reaper tech.

Shepard left her bathroom and decided to pick out a long sleeved blouse or jacket to hide the silver sheen in her elbow. She sat on the edge of her bed with a spandex long sleeved jacket in her hand and debated whether or not she wanted to wear it. Lost in thought about whether or not she should wear this particular article of clothing, she did not hear her cabin doors open. Only when she heard soft footfalls did she become aware that someone had entered her cabin.

"You don't need to cover them up…I know we made up a story for your nails, but you don't need to hide. If they want to think things they can; it doesn't matter what they or anyone else thinks." Garrus said softly from above Shepard.

Shepard looked up in surprise to see Garrus standing above her. His face held an expression she'd never seen there before. It was one she couldn't quite place; one that excited and frightened her.

"I thought you went with your family," Shepard murmured.

"I did, but I told them I forgot something up here. I really just needed to talk to you," Garrus explained and took a seat next to Shepard on the bed.

"What's on your mind?" Shepard asked casually.

Garrus, now sitting beside her, took the stretchy blouse out of Shepard's hands and set it aside. He looked carefully at her and was silent for a few moments as if he were just savoring the moment. Slowly he took one of her hands in his and gave her a long look.

"When you were on the Citadel I thought you died…and a part of me died with you; I didn't know what to do, but then we found you and everything was okay. We've spend the last several months at each other's side and I think that time we spent together was the best time I've had in my entire life…but then that bitch Wickers took you away from me and I thought I lost you again," Garrus explained softly his eyes still locked on Shepard's.

"But you didn't lose me; I'm right here," Shepard whispered and stroked Garrus's cheek with her other hand.

"I know…but I _thought _I lost you…I thought that this was it; this was the time I'd lose you for good. You can only get lucky so many times before your luck runs out. It was during your time away from me that I decided…I decided I'd never let that happen again; I'd never lose you again," Garrus said rapidly. Shepard detected a hint of anxiety in his voice and wondered what he was getting at.

"You won't ever lose me again…we'll be together until the end now," Shepard reassured and felt a small smile form at the corner of her mouth.

"I want to make sure of that…so I came up here to ask you a question," Garrus whispered.

Shepard felt her heart skip a beat. He wanted to ask her a question…there was only one question that came to her mind at his words, although he could potentially ask a million different things, but one question in particular stuck in her mind.

"Commander Alexandria June Shepard," Garrus began and Shepard briefly wondered how on earth he had managed to find out what her middle name was. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me and becoming my mate?"

Shepard blinked in response unable to find the words that she could feel bubbling up inside of her. Garrus Vakarian wanted to marry her; a turian wanted to marry her! Only in her wildest dreams had she imagined that this moment would happen. She never thought that things would be calm enough for Garrus or anyone for that matter, to propose marriage to her.

"Shepard…?" Garrus asked nervously. Shepard could see the tension mounting in him.

Finally Shepard found her voice.

"Yes; yes Garrus Vakarian I will marry you."

Garrus flared his mandibles, his eyes sparkled, and if he'd been human Shepard was certain that he would've had an ear to ear grin on his face. He encircled her in his arms and pulled her close to him.

"Spirits I was afraid you'd say no," Garrus breathed into her ear.

Shepard laughed at that and said, "Really? You have to know I'd never say no," Shepard paused and pulled back a little from their embrace so she could face him. "Remember, there's no Shepard without Vakarian." Garrus pressed his mouth to hers and Shepard felt her heart flutter as fast as a hummingbird's wings.

Garrus pulled away to look at her and said, "So…are you going to be Commander Vakarian now?"

Shepard smiled at the thought. "I don't know…everyone knows me as Shepard, but I personally like the sound of Commander Alexandria Vakarian," Shepard paused then and with a mischievous smile asked, "How'd you find out what my middle name was anyway?"

"EDI," Garrus stated simply.

"I told him the chances that you would say yes were 98.99901%," EDI abruptly stated from overhead. Shepard rolled her eyes.

"Really? A 2% fail rate? I would've said 100% EDI," Shepard said with a grin.

"Calculating in previous love affairs, Liara's secret love child, your current emotional state and desire for dominance equaled 98.99901%," EDI explained in a matter of fact voice.

"Well none of it matters now," Shepard murmured and cupped Garrus's face in her hands.

"I guess not," Garrus said with a devious twinkle in his eyes.

Understanding what that twinkle meant, Shepard quickly said, "We really should get back to your family."

"They can wait a little while," Garrus replied with a smirk and once again swept Shepard into his arms.


	30. Chapter 30 The Silver Lining

**A/N: **Well it has been a while, hasn't it? I'm very sorry it has taken me quite a while to finally get this chapter up, but here it is. The last chapter, although there will be an epilogue that will follow this. Hopefully some of you are still with me :) if not, that's okay too. I know how frustrating it gets when you get into a story and it doesn't get updated...but when it does it's wonderful! Anyway, thank you to everyone who has stuck with me so far, you're wonderful :) ! Oh and was anyone else like, "Really? That's what they call a BETTER ending? Bull crap!" When the ME extended cut came out? I felt that way...a bunch of crap! So anyway here is chapter 30, I hope everyone enjoys it! I'm still playing with ideas for a sequal, but I wouldn't post it for a while as I'd want to get the majority of it written before posting so you guys don't have to wait forever for updates...but we'll see. Anyway, enjoy reading it! Thank you for reviews so far, they're lovely. Enjoy it and please review! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect of any of its characters.

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Thirty: The Silver Lining

Soft white fabric caressed her body and curves; flowed down her legs like a waterfall. A spot of peach colored flesh clashed with the purity of the white material that was foreign to her dark, blue eyes. Dark, military style clothing was what she was used to; not this flowery, flowing, excessively feminine gown. Her eyes seemed to get stuck at her midsection where the dress was open to her flesh and accentuated her hips. The sleeves were long and the collar was high but plunged into a sweetheart neckline. She felt utterly foreign in the formal attire but knew that it was necessary for the event she was about to attend.

Shepard let out a little sigh as she continued to stare at her reflection in the full length mirror that had recently found its way to her cabin. She had never really felt like herself in a dress let alone a _wedding dress_. Her mind seemed to reel at the word _wedding_. Wedding; her wedding; a white wedding to Garrus Vakarian. Shepard couldn't help but smirk slightly as she thought about the peculiarity of a turian human wedding.

"Mrs. Garrus Vakarian," Shepard whispered to her reflection and grinned at her words. Considering the events of the last three or so years, Shepard had all but completely forgotten the concept of marriage.

After the slaughtering of her family on her native colony she'd been numb and any relationships she'd formed had been hollow. When she'd been inducted into the N7 program she had had little time for romance and it wasn't until she'd met Kaiden on the first Normandy that she felt like she could love again. Of course that had ended very poorly, with Kaiden blowing his chances by turning his nose up at her when she'd been involved with Cerberus. It was during that time that she'd reacquainted with Garrus and had fallen in love with him. Although taking on the Collectors, the Reapers, taking back Earth and the galaxy, and then most recently a kidnapping by a left over Reaper perversion had obliterated any thoughts of a permanent union she might have…but all that was about to change vey shorty.

Shepard turned away from her mirror and to the foot of her bed where a pair of saucy looking heels awaited her. Slowly she sat down on her bed and began strapping on the heels. She'd never been one to get all dolled up often, but for a very special occasion Shepard gladly made exceptions.

Three months had gone by since Garrus had proposed to her. Things had remained relatively calm during that time period. There were no rumors of Reaper attacks or threats on her or Garrus's lives. The time that had gone by had simply passed pleasantly with Shepard continuing to recuperate from her ordeal with Raidee and Garrus making motions within the turian hierarchy to make sure their union was recognized.

When Shepard and Garrus had announced to the rest of the crew that they were planning on getting married most were pleased and not that surprised. James had offered to throw Garrus a bachelor party to which the sly turian had replied, "Only if there's poker."

Kaiden was the only one of the crew who seemed mildly distressed by Shepard's impending marriage to Garrus. Shepard wasn't surprised by this since on some level he still cared for her. Whenever Shepard had been working with him he always seemed to point out faults in Garrus that could potentially be a problem for a long term relationship. Shepard shrugged these comments off, knowing that he was trying to plant question in Shepard's mind.

Liara was apparently ten or so months pregnant now and was sporting a fairly visible rounded baby bump. Like she had told Shepard months before during her confession, she was claiming Feron as the father. It seemed most everyone believed her story although there were those that seemed suspicious of Liara's claims that Feron was the father. Shepard tried to ignore any rumors she heard through the grapevine about the parentage of Liara's child. It seemed that anything to do with Liara irritated Garrus to no end.

Despite the fact that Shepard knew that she was the child's true 'father' she had tried to regain some semblance of what their former friendship had been. While Shepard made an effort to try to forgive Liara she still found it difficult to return to their former status when the evidence of Liara's betrayal was blatantly obvious in her growing abdomen. Garrus did not approve of Shepard's occasional visits to Liara and fought her on it constantly.

Admiral Hackett had personally congratulated Shepard on her betrothal to Garrus. He had assured her that all of her medical tests were fine and that soon she wouldn't need to consent to any further testing. While Shepard had smiled at this she felt certain that Hackett was lying to her. Something about the way he spoke made her question the validity of his words. She knew that onboard the Normandy he had little spies that he had planted, reporting her every move back to him. He obviously still had lingering questions about her abduction.

Almost everyone seemed to be pleased for Shepard and glad that she was moving on and away from the devastation left by the Reapers. The galaxy was slowly repairing itself and moving forward with rebuilding. During the three months that had passed since Garrus's proposal, the Citadel had become operational. It was still a slow process to get people to come back to the Citadel given the events that had occurred there, but slowly people were filtering back in and it was theorized that soon the Citadel would return to its former glory.

The only thing that had cast a shadow over the last three months for Shepard was Javik's presence, or lack of it. Javik had been aboard the Normandy for at least a month after Shepard's return from Raidee's captivity. However, after that he had simply vanished. It wasn't until a short time later that Shepard heard from one of Liara's Shadow Broker contacts that Javik was back on Earth apparently heavily involved with the Alliance. There had been rumors that he had been seen with Hackett a few times which made everyone that knew the truth about what had really happened to Shepard nervous.

Despite the rumors and suggestions though, no action had been taken. So for the moment, Shepard lived in a state of temporary calm. Although deep down Shepard feared that Hackett would one day show up and court martial her, strip her of her command, and take her away from the Normandy and all the people she loved. That was a far off fear, however.

Shepard finished strapping on her heels and rose from her bed. She turned back to her mirror and gazed at her reflection one last time still startled by the formal figure that met her gaze.

"Never thought I'd see the day," came Kaiden's voice from the behind her. Shepard looked from her reflection to Kaiden in the mirror. He stood a ways behind her, towards the front of her cabin. Slowly she turned around to face him.

"How do I look?" She asked nervously. Kaiden paused briefly to look at her; Shepard didn't miss the sorrowful look in his eyes.

"You look beautiful," Kaiden said with a smile and took a few steps toward her. A good distance still remained between them but the new closeness made a soft blush rise to Shepard's cheeks.

"Thank you," Shepard replied and lowered her eyes in a very uncharacteristic way. She heard Kaiden laugh.

"The blushing bride," Kaiden began as Shepard raised her eyes to meet Kaiden's expression, "not exactly how I imagined things in my head, but it works I guess."

"Kaiden," Shepard began only to be cut off by him.

"No, I know where you're going and we are not having that conversation today. Maybe later...in the meantime let's get you out of your cabin and down stairs to the tie the knot…that's if you're sure?" Kaiden chided in a teasing way.

Smiling, Shepard replied, "I am." Kaiden closed the distance between the two then and took Shepard's arm in his. The two left her cabin.

Butterflies danced in Shepard's stomach as she and Kaiden made their way to the elevator. Below them she knew that the crew of the Normandy would be clustered together on the bridge waiting for her arrival. Among the crowd would be her friends and fellow crew members. Miranda and Jacob had even managed to be present for the ceremony. Shepard had been eager to have Wrex attend but he'd been busy keeping the other clans in line and working with Bakara on birthing more babies. He had assured her that he would see her soon though.

Shepard briefly looked down to her left wrist and to the thickened sleeve there. The sleeve hid the new tattoo she had had done just the other day. Garrus had a matching tattoo on his left wrist as well. The new tattoos were a representation of their union. While rings were tradional in human culture, it was not a common practice in turian marriage. Garrus had volunteered to wear a ring like a normal human would but Shepard had rejected this and suggested they go with what was tradional in turian culture. As a result the two had both had their wrists tattooed with colony origin markings. Since Shepard didn't truly have colony markings they had substituted with the N7 sigma. Now both Garrus and Shepard had tattoos of blue colony markings and N7 encircling their wrists. These tattoos would be unveiled at the wedding as the final symbol of bonding.

The doors to the elevator whooshed open and Kaiden led Shepard out of the elevator. Shepard gave a quick glance around the room and took in the small crowd crammed into the sides of the CIC. Shepard looked ahead to where her usual post was at the head of the galaxy map. Garrus stood at the foot of the step of the galaxy map. He was dressed in traditioinal turian formal attire and had even removed his characteristic visor. Primarch Victus stood at the galaxy map as well. Garrus had asked Victus to act as the official to marry them.

Kaiden broke off from Shepard then and took a place among the crowd, next to Liara specifically. Shepard briefly glanced at Liara who had Feron on the other side of her. She was smiling broadly at Shepard and generally looked pleased. Shepard spotted other familiar faces in the crowd; Tali, Miranda, Jacob, Gabby, Ken, Joker, EDI, Grunt, James, Chakwas, Garrus's father Curren and sister Solana, and others.

Her eyes briefly landed on Hackett who had a neutral expression on his face as he watched her. Garrus had initially suggested that she have Hackett give her away in human tradition but Shepard didn't like that idea since her relationship with Hackett was currently tenuous.

Shepard took a deep breath and slowly began her short walk toward the galaxy map and toward Garrus. Garrus looked at her expectantly as she reached his side; he held out his hand and she slowly took it. The two stood before Primarch Victus hand in hand, as the old turian began to speak.

"Today we celebrate the union of Garrus Vakarian son of Curren and Genia Vakarian to Commander Alexandria Shepard daughter of Jeffrey and Kate Shepard. Though lands and blood divide them, they have formed a union that today we sanction as life long," the Primarch stated in a commanding voice. He then gestured for their hands.

Both Shepard and Garrus held out their left hands to the Primarch. The Primarch took both Garrus's and Shepard's hands and gently set them on top of each other. Shepard watched as the Primarch then slowly lifted her thickened sleeve to reveal her still reddened tattoo of bright blue colony markings and the dark N7 that circled her wrist. The Primarch then repeated the gesture on Garrus's wrist (for the ceremony he was without his characteristic leather gloves) revealing an identicle tattoo.

"Garrus Vakarian, do you promise to guard, respect, honor, and love the Commander until the end of your days?" The Primarch asked very seriously.

"I promise," Garrus replied softly.

The Primarch then turned to Shepard and asked, "Commander Alexandria Shepard, do you promise to guard, respect, honor, and love Garrus until the end of your days?"

"I do," Shepard answered, smiling slightly at her very human response.

The Primarch then wrapped a white velvety cloth around their hands and said, "Then by the Spirits above us I bless this union." Shepard and Garrus both looked at each other, not sure what to do next.

Thankfully a shout from the crowd broke the silence. From the audience they heard Joker call out, "That means you're man and wife! Kiss the bride!" There were chuckles amongst the crowd. Shepard gave Garrus a brilliant smile as he flared his mandibles in amusement.

"Shall we please the crowd, Mrs. Vakarian?" Garrus asked playfully as he snuck a hand around her waist.

Stifling her giggle, Shepard replied, "I think so Mr. Vakarian."

In an exaggerated way Garrus swept Shepard up into his arms, leaned her back and kissed her.


	31. Epilogue

**A/N: **So here we are at last, at the end :( I hope everyone one enjoys my little epilogue, it's short but sweet, which is how I think all epilogues should be. I think I will try to write a sequal but it will take time since my job is very demanding of time (and believe me, they do NOT pay enough!). If you wanna stick with me that'd be great, because maybe we will finally get to see, *dramatic pause*, what a turian-human baby looks like! Who else thinks they should make a ME spin off just about that? No, I'm kidding, they won't ever do that...and it would be kind of silly...so we'll just have to write about it instead! Anyway, enjoy this little epilogue, thanks for all the reviews and those that have read my silly little story. I hope it was a fun story. So as always, read, review, and the most important thing, ENJOY!

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Epilogue:

The sound of the ocean lapping against the beach could be heard everywhere. It seemed to permeate into the ears of anyone within a mile radius of it. Garrus Vakarian was no exception; he enjoyed the sound of the ocean and the cool, salty breeze that drifted in with it. The subtle wind that washed in with the waves was a brief reprieve from the hot and humid atmosphere of the beach he was vacationing on. Hot and humid weren't that bad, they reminded him of Palaven—minus the mildly radioactive atmosphere. Except for that fact, Garrus felt like he could be sitting back on a beach on Palaven…although the plethora of green trees, strangely soft sand and shimmering blue ocean were slightly different from his home world.

Garrus watched as the waves lapped against the damp brown sand, beckoning him to go for a swim. For a second he entertained he idea of abandoning his spot on the soft sand and walking toward the water to dive in. However, the appearance of a woman rising from the sea halted his ideas of leaving his spot. He took in the sight of the familiar dark haired woman as she slowly made her way out of the water. His eyes eagerly examined her wet frame and the bare skin that was so plainly visible. She was scantily clad in what he had recently learned was called a _bikini._

Mrs. Garrus Vakarian continued to walk toward him, a smile forming on her lips. She seemed incapable of keeping a straight face when she knew Garrus's eyes were watching her. It was something he knew and liked to take advantage of at times.

"Did you have a good swim?" Garrus asked playfully as Shepard continued to walk up from the shoreline to their little spot on the sand.

"It was delightful…you really should've joined me," Shepard mewed giving her wet hair a shake.

Garrus continued to watch her approach, fully taking in the curve of her hips; the swell of her breasts. It still slightly surprised him when he realized that he viewed her as sexually attractive. Before he'd gotten involved with Shepard, he'd never been one to appreciate a good looking human woman; he'd always been more into turian women. However, after he'd met Shepard he'd started to notice the attraction of human females…particularly Shepard's attractiveness. He'd been nervous of course and uncertain of what to do when they had first become lovers, but time had made him bolder. Now that human softness that he'd previously found boring and weak, was exciting and dangerously foreign. He loved everything about Shepard both physically and mentally.

Shepard made her way next to Garrus and plopped down next to him. She leaned her head against his thickly plated shoulder and sighed peacefully. Garrus wrapped an arm around her waist in response.

It had been a week since Garrus and Shepard had gotten married; a week of peaceful beach life. Just like they had talked about all those months ago before the final push, they were enjoying the drinks and living it up on a beach. They had both chosen an Earth beach, mainly because Palaven would pose problems to Shepard since it was radioactive and all. Shepard had suggested Thessia initially, but Garrus had opposed the idea. While Thessia was renowned for some of the most spectacular views and romantic locations, it wasn't exactly the hot spot it used to be due to the devastation left by the the Reapers. As a result of these conclusions Earth was selected; not because it hadn't been hit hard by the Reapers, but because there were several beach locations that had been restored to their former glory in the time since the Reapers.

"You think Hackett's digging up dirt on me as we live and breathe?" Shepard asked casually.

Garrus snorted and turned his head to face her. "He's probably up to something…the council, the Alliance—they all take you for granted. But let's not focus on that; this is our time to be away from all of _that," _Garrus paused briefly to give her a sly expression. "Besides, we've got ears on the inside…if they decide to make a move, we'll know about it before they do."

Shepard laughed at that and leaned away from Garrus to lay flat on her back. Garrus watched as she stretched out flat and closed her eyes against the glare of the sun. The droplets of water left over on her skin shimmered in the sun. Somewhere off in the distance a few seagulls were squawking.

"So…I've been wondering, have you decided if you're going to drop the 'Shepard' all together and go with Commander Vakarian?" Garrus asked as he ran one of his taloned fingers gently across Shepard's still damp abdomen.

Shivering slightly, Shepard answered, "I think I have to keep the 'Shepard' in there somewhere. No one knows me by my first name. In fact even when I've asked people to call me by my first name, they still call me Shepard."

"What'll it be then?" Garrus purred and continued to run his talon up along Shepard's flat stomach. He halted when he reached the lower edge of the top portion of her swim suit. His talon was just at the very end of the black fabric of Shepard's swim suit. If he moved it up any further, he could easily hook it underneath the center of the top and pull it off completely.

Shepard opened her eyes against the glare and gave Garrus a coy expression. "Well I was thinking of making it Alex Shepard-Vakarian…just so that all those that know me as Shepard don't get confused. Of course in the galactic legal sense, it's Alex Vakarian."

"The galactic legal sense?" Garrus repeated and teasingly pulled his talon away from Shepard's upper half only to trail it down to the hem line of her bikini bottoms.

"Yes," Shepard responded with a mischievous little grin on her face.

Leaning down closer to Shepard, so that his face was almost touching hers, he said, "I can deal with that."

Shepard was about to reach her hand up to his fringe and pull him down to meet her expectant mouth, when he abruptly pulled away both his head and hand and sat back up and gazed out at the ocean. Propping herself up on an elbow, Shepard gave Garrus a dejected look.

"Oh I'm sorry, I just got distracted by the satisfying thought of Kaiden having to call you Commander Vakarian," Garrus said innocently.

"You know that's never going to happen. Even if he went senile, he wouldn't call me that. You know, he doesn't really like you," Shepard teased wickedly.

"Really? And all this time I was under the impression that we were great friends," Garrus retorted with a coy twinkle in his eyes. Shepard gave Garrus a playful shove and then rose to a sitting position next to Garrus. They were quiet for a few moments and appeared content to just watch the ocean.

"What happens after this honeymoon?" Shepard asked quietly.

"I don't know…we play it like we always do I guess," Garrus replied softly and took Shepard's hand into his own. He marveled briefly at the way her skin had browned since they'd been spending time on the beach together. It was something he'd never really seen in any other species before.

Shepard turned to face Garrus, her blue eyes uncertain and questioning. "Do we play house? I don't really know how to. I've never done it before…don't think I'd be very good at it, honestly."

Garrus met Shepard's uncertain gaze with a confident one.

"You and I were never really cut out to just _play house_…sure we might become more domestic, but there will always be something dangerous lurking around the corner. And knowing you, that's the way you like it." Garrus leaned in to press his hard plated lips to her forehead in reassurance. Shepard smiled softly in return.

"I can deal with becoming slightly more domestic just as long as you're okay with that," Shepard stated and then paused briefly before continuing. "Maybe we'll even find out what a turian-human baby looks like." Her expression was devious as she repeated Garrus's words to her from long ago.

Laughing, Garrus replied, "Yes…perhaps we will find out. Wanna get started now?" Before she could respond Garrus pounced on her, nipping her collar bone and eliciting squeals and giggles of excitement from Shepard.

After a few minutes of fervent kisses and hands slipping and sliding everywhere, Shepard managed to speak.

"I love you, Garrus Vakarian," she whispered while gently stroking his face.

"I love you too, Mrs. Shepard-Vakarian," Garrus replied and kissed her.

The two embraced and after they'd spent some quiet, intimate time together they left the beach. They returned to the little bungalow they'd been staying in to thoroughly test turian-human genetic compatibility.

What the future held, neither of them was sure of, all they knew was that they would face it together.

The End.


End file.
